ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the clinical experience of muscle-sparing thoracotomy in intrathoracic surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thoracotomy was performed in 386 patients from 1998 to 2002, during the procedure lateral-transverse incision, free dissection of muscular flap and entering to the thoracic cavity through certain intercostal space were applied. Two sets of rib retractors were used to ensure the excellent field exposure.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Intrathoracic surgery was carried out by this method with the advantage of excellent surgical field exposure, less pain and relative quick recovery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Muscle-sparing thoracotomy has the merits of less injury and the same good exposure as routine thoracotomy and it can be carried out in majority of chest surgery.</p>