Which of these organs are associated with a Thoracic Surgery?
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Thoracic Surgery is associated with the organs in the chest. It includes thorax (chest) area, lungs, esophagus, diaphragm, trachea, mediastinum (the area between lungs), and heart. Examples of this category of surgery include lung transplant, heart transplant, and coronary artery bypass surgery. Other examples include removal of the damaged part of the lung due to cancer or some other reason like pulmonary disease or trauma. In the case of pulmonary cancer, tumors, nodules, and lymph nodes might have to be removed for diagnosis and treatment, depending upon the stage of the disease. All these procedures are widely covered under the umbrella of the Thoracic Surgery.
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery is a minimally invasive procedure.
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Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery, abbreviated as VATS, is a minimally invasive procedure. Unlike the conventional open procedure of surgery, also referred to as thoracotomy, it does not use the formal large incisions. Rather, only a small incision is made in the chest to access for performing the procedure. But, despite limited access in the VATS, adequate visualization is provided by a thoracoscope (a tiny camera) that transmits high-resolution images from the inside of the body to a video monitor. It hence guides the surgeon for performing the entire procedure.
Which types of operations are performed using VATS?
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VATS is used for a number of operations. These include esophagectomy (esophagus surgery), thymectomy (surgery to remove thymus gland), hiatal hernia repair, hyperhidrosis (surgery for relieving excessive sweating), removal of excessive fluid and air from lung cavity, surgery for relieving gastroesophageal reflux disease, pulmonary surgery for the treatment of cancer and for reduction of lung volume, etc. VATS is also used for biopsy for diagnosing mesothelioma (an aggressive form of cancer affecting the lining of heart, lungs, or abdomen), lung cancer and other chest cancers.
Surgical sutures for access and for performing the procedure need to be removed after a few days post-surgery.
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VATS is performed under general anesthesia. Very small incisions, usually one or two only, are made for accessing the part to be operated. These incisions are closed by sutures at the end of the surgery. These sutures, that are used for access and for performing the procedure, are absorbable and hence their removal is not required. However, it should be noted that the stitch that holds the chest tube in place for drainage of fluid and air has to be removed post the surgery.
What is one of the merits associated with VATS over the conventional surgical procedure?
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Since VATS is minimally invasive, it has multiple merits associated with it over the conventional surgical procedure. It results in less pain post-surgery and has less morbidity post the procedure. It is cosmetically more desirable and the recovery time is shorter. Moreover, there are a few small incisions only which drastically reduce the chances of developing infections and of wound dehiscence. It hence allows for a quicker recovery.
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