Evolving thoracic surgery: from open surgery to single port thoracoscopic surgery and future robotic.

Abstract

Thoracic Surgery is a continuous evolving specialty. In the past, thoracic surgeons had to make large incisions in order to operate any pathology inside the chest. This often meant big, painful and ugly scars and long recovery times after surgery. But he history of thoracic surgery changed since the begining of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).