Patología pleural: Toracoscopía y videotoracoscopía

Abstract

In the last years important advances have taken place in the surgical field allowing to treat practically all pleural pathologies by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), with prompt recovery and minimal morbidity and mortality. Internists had also perfected the medical thoracoscopy, a technique used for the study of pleural diseases, which also allows performing some therapeutic procedures. The present article briefly comments the history of medical thoracoscopy and VATS and their current applications. A critical analysis of the principal indications of medical thoracoscopy is presented: study of pleural effusions, management of malignant pleural effusion and spontaneous pneumothorax. The results are compared, in view of the existing evidence, with other less complex surgical procedures and VATS.