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The Secret of Thoracic Surgery: How can VATS make the surgical process more refined and safer?
With the advancement of technology, thoracic surgery has also undergone significant changes.Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) is becoming the mainstream approach in the treatment of early non-small cell lung cancer, which provides a more refined surgical procedure and lower risk.VATS performs excellently in reducing postoperative pain and shortening hospital stays compared to traditional thoracotomy.
"The advantage of VATS surgery is that it does not require cutting the main chest wall muscles, nor does it require the use of a rib dilator."
Challenges of traditional thoracotomy
Although traditional thoracic cervical dysfunction has been an effective surgical method for the past few decades, the pain it brings to patients is obvious to all.The surgery requires cutting one to multiple major muscles and opening the chest cavity with a rib dilator, which often leads to persistent and severe pain after the operation.During postoperative rehabilitation, patients usually need to use anesthetics to control pain and have 7 to 10 days of hospital stay.
Historical evolution of VATS
Since the 1990s, VATS has been gradually introduced into surgery for lung cancer.During the operation, when the surgeon uses a video thoracoscopy, the surgical field of view is transmitted from a camera to the display screen, which makes the operation and observation of the operation more intuitive and clear.Since muscle cutting is not required, the pain after the operation is significantly reduced, and the patient can also return to normal life faster.
"VATS surgery, assisted by visual amplification and 30-degree angle, can improve observation of surrounding structures."
Advantages of VATS
One of the reasons why VATS stands out is its surgical procedure.First, VATS surgery requires smaller incisions, usually only 3 to 5 small incisions, which greatly reduces postoperative pain in patients.In addition, the patient's hospital stay is usually only 3 to 5 days, and the recovery of activity after the operation is also significantly accelerated.This is particularly evident in older patients, as they are usually more tolerant to VATS surgery than traditional incisions.
Indications and patient considerations
While VATS has several advantages, not all patients are suitable for VATS surgery.Generally speaking, patients suitable for VATS are early lung cancer with tumor diameter less than 3 cm and located around the lungs.For some tumors located near the main blood vessel or airway, surgeons may need more tactile feedback from the outline to ensure that the tumor can be completely removed without affecting other sites.
"This surgical method is widely used because young patients and patients who require postoperative chemotherapy are more likely to successfully complete chemotherapy after VATS surgery."
Future Outlook for VATS Surgery
With in-depth discussion and continuous improvement of thoracic surgery technology, VATS will play a more important role in future cancer treatment.Not only because it reduces postoperative pain, but also because it shortens the overall time required for treatment and is also relatively economically advantageous.In addition, personalized treatment plans for different patient groups should also follow, which will further promote the popularization of VATS technology.
Conclusion
Faced with the major public health challenge of lung cancer, how to choose the most appropriate surgical method to improve efficacy and reduce risks is a topic that the medical community continues to discuss.Benefiting from technological advancements, VATS surgery undoubtedly adds a powerful weapon to this battle. The future development is worth looking forward to. How do you think VATS can be further optimized in future thoracic surgery?
