Lung Biopsies with the Curved Radial Reload™ Stapler.

Objective: We describe our experience at the James Cook University Hospital (UK) in using the curved Radial Reload™ (RR) stapler (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) for lung wedge resections, which is an endoscopic stapler used mainly in endoscopic general surgery.

Materials And Methods: A single center experience (James Cook University Hospital) for patients who had superficial or deep video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lung wedge resection, using the curved RR stapler.

Results: Seven patients had superficial or deep VATS lung biopsies-their ages ranged from 38 to 75 years, with a median length of hospital stay of two days (one to six days), and a mean length of hospital stay of 2.

VATS Diaphragm Plication.

Elevated diaphragm can be due to diaphragmatic eventration or diaphragm paralysis. Diaphragm paralysis is a rare condition that can be congenital or acquired. Acquired diaphragmatic paralysis can result from injury to the phrenic nerve.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery micro pneumonectomy, a new approach.

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) pneumonectomy is normally limited due to the difficulty to remove the whole lung via the utility incision. We present our technique of VATS pneumonectomy, this we call micropneumonectomy.

Methods: A 75-year-old male current smoker with a right hilar mass, invading both upper and lower lobe bronchi to segmental level on CT scan and PET scan, pathology from CT guided biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma.