Table 1.

Procedures performed with VATS

Procedure type	Indication
Diagnostic	Pleural biopsy and thoracocentesi
	Staging of lung, pleural and oesophageal malignancies
	Diagnosis of parenchymal disease: fibrosis, nodules and pneumonitis
	Diagnosis of mediastinal tumours: thymoma, sarcoma and germ cell
	Pericardial disease: pericarditis and tumours
Therapeutic	Pleural disease: pleurodesis and decortication
	Parenchymal disease: wedge resection, segmentectomy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy, bullae resection and lung-volume reduction surgery
	Mediastinal disease: tumour excision, thymectomy and chylothorax
	Oesophageal surgery: vagotomy, myotomy and oesophagectomy
	Sympathectomy