Thoracoscopy

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), or thoracoscopy, involves the introduction of an illuminated tube through a small incision made between the ribs. The procedure was first used in 1910 by Hans Christian Jacobaeus for the treatment of tuberculosis and allowed the surgeon to perform simple procedures. Visibility was generally limited to the surgeon until the development of video-endoscopic equipment which allows the entire operating team to view and assist in the operation.