Minimally invasive resection and reconstruction of the intrathoracic trachea and carina

Single-port video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)-advanced procedures & update

The uniportal approach for major pulmonary resections began in 2010, with the first case being reported by D González-Rivas and colleagues in La Coruña, Spain. Since then, in different countries, thoracic surgeons had been performing hundreds of cases, with more advanced and complex procedures. Nowadays, there are reports of uniportal tracheal resection and reconstruction, carinal resection, bronchoplastic procedures, lobectomies with en bloc chest wall excision, and vascular reconstruction with optimal outcomes. The development of technologies and the potential benefits of a direct view, anatomic instrumentation, better cosmesis, and, potentially, less postoperative pain have led uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery to grow exponentially worldwide.