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What is a VATS Medical Procedure?

VATS, or Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery, is a medical procedure that is minimally invasive. By using VATS, physicians diagnose and treat a number of conditions and diseases that affect the chest.

  1. Identification

    • During a VATS procedure, the doctor makes a few small incisions and inserts a small camera into the chest area. The doctors then utilize surgical tools and instruments to perform surgery, watching their progress on the screen.

    Treatment

    • Physicians employ VATS for a number of conditions and diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and disease, emphysema, lymphoma, hyperhidrosis and the retention of fluid around the heart.

    Benefits

    • Because the incision size is smaller, VATS results in less pain and a shorter recovery time in patients than traditional surgeries performed on the chest, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Considerations

    • VATS procedures are best when used to treat patients who have never had chest surgery before. This is because previous surgeries often result in scar tissue that makes the procedure more difficult to perform.

    After Surgery

    • Typically, patients who undergo VATS require a hospital stay of three to four days after the procedure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Often, the physician inserts drains during the surgery to remove fluid from the incision site, which are removed during recovery.

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