A technical report on video-assisted thoracoscopy in thoracic spinal surgery : preliminary description

• Published in: Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976) Pa. 1976), 1995-04, Vol.20 (7), p.831-837
• Main Authors: REGAN, J. J, MACK, M. J, PICETTI, G. D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Diskectomy - methods; Female; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement - surgery; Length of Stay; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Orthopedic surgery; Pain, Postoperative - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Spinal Diseases - surgery; Spinal Neoplasms - surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Television; Thoracic Vertebrae - surgery; Thoracoscopy - methods
• ISSN: 0362-2436; 1528-1159
• DOI: 10.1097/00007632-199504000-00018

This report is a preliminary description of the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy. This report sought to describe the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy. In a landmark study that compared video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for peripheral lung lesions with thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery reduced postoperative pain, improved early shoulder girdle function, and shortened hospital stay. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 12 thoracic spinal patients (herniated nucleus pulposus, infection, tumor, or spinal deformity) and is described in detail in this report. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal surgery resulted in little postoperative pain, short intensive care unit and hospital stays, and little or no morbidity. In the short follow-up period, there was no post-thoracotomy pain syndrome nor neurologic sequelae in these patients. Operative time decreased dramatically as experience was gained with the procedure. Given consistently improving surgical skills, a number of thoracic spinal procedures using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, including thoracic discectomy, internal rib thoracoplasty, anterior osteotomy, corpectomy, and fusion, can be performed safely with no additional surgical time or risk to the patient.