While Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) has become a standard of care in adults, pediatric surgeons have been slower to undertake this approach. The limitations for working in children are decreased working space, unknown thoracoscopic effects on body physiology, and instrument accommodation. Especially as the field for minimally invasive surgery expands, using the single port approach has unique implications in children. The site of a chest tube becomes the working site for thoracoscopic surgery and the only scar. Despite some learning curve, the preliminary outcomes are similar to the multiport surgeries with better cosmesis. The learning curves for single port site surgery have been well described and our group recently performed a similar study for appendectomies. We propose this study to do a retrospective review comparing the conventional multiport thoracic surgery with the newer single port site.
Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) has become a standard of care in adults, pediatric surgeons have been slower to undertake this approach. There are limitations for working in children. The site of a chest tube becomes the working site for thoracoscopic surgery and the only scar. We propose this study to do a retrospective review comparing the conventional multiport thoracic surgery with the newer single port site.