ABSTRACT
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), an evolution of traditional thoracoscopy, is one of the most exciting developments in thoracic surgery in the last decade. The availability of sophisticated high-quality digital imaging systems and a wide range of thoracoscopic instruments, in combination with advances in anesthetic techniques and intraoperative monitoring, facilitated its use and resulted in an ever-expanding range of indications. The minimally invasive nature of VATS makes it particularly popular for the diagnosis of pleural disease, where simpler techniques like thoracocentesis or blind pleural biopsy have failed.
