Video-assisted thoracic surgery complications

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is a miniinvasive technique commonly applied worldwide. Indications for VATS are very broad and include the diagnosis of mediastinal, lung and pleural diseases, as well as large resection procedures such as pneumonectomy. The most frequent complication is prolonged postoperative air leak. The other significant complications are bleeding, infections, postoperative pain and recurrence at the port site. Different complications of VATS procedures can occur with variable frequency in various diseases. Despite the large number of their types, such complications are rare and can be avoided through the proper selection of patients and an appropriate surgical technique.