ABSTRACT
The video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) was introduced in Brazil in 1992 by LOSSO, GHEFTER and IMAEDA. Since its advent up to November 1994, 488 patients have been submitted to 497 VATS procedures in four Medical Centers of Säo Paulo city. The indications for the procedures were: lung diseases in 244 patients (50,0 percent), pleural diseases in 155 patients (31,7 percent), thoracic traumas in 42 patients (8,6 percent), mediastinal diseases in 35 patients (7,1 percent), cardiovascular diseases in 7 patients (1,4 percent), chest wall diseases in 3 patients (0,6 percent and esophageal diseases in patients (0,4 percent). Int her group of lung disease the most commonly used procedures were the lung biopsy in order to diagnose diffuse pulmonary disease and the indeterminate solitary nodule resection. Among the occurrences of pleural diseases, the most commonly used procedures were the pleurodesis with tale (tale poudrage) for the treatment of recurrent pleural effusion, the driven pleura biopsy and debridment or decortication of trapped lung in cases of pleural empyema. Concerning the mediastinal diseases, the pathology which was most frequently treated by VATS was the recurrent pericardic effusion through pericardiectomy. Among the patients presenting chest traumatic diseases, the WATS was used to explore thoracoabdominal penetrating injuries, to control bleeding, to remove elotted hemothorax, to suture diaphragm lesions and to remove intrapleural foreign bodies. Out of 497 procedures, there were 28 convertions to thoracotomy (5,7 por cento) and two deaths occurred all over the cases. The complications, limitations and growth related to this method as well as as overview of the VATS in Brazil will be presented