[Minimally invasive thoracic surgery--evaluation after 5 years].

A prospective study documented all minimally invasive operations performed in the department of thoracic surgery between 1992 and 1996. The most frequent indications were: lung biopsy (n = 181, 30.9%), coin lesions of unknown origin (n = 179; 30.5%), pneumothoraces (n = 133; 22.7%), pleura effusions (n = 19; 3.2%), and pleura empyema (n = 13; 2.2%). The majority (82.6%) of the minimally invasive procedures were completed without conversion; in 6.0% an extension (< 5 cm) of one of the trocar incisions was necessary and in 11.5% an anterolateral thoracotomy. It is demonstrated that a wide spectrum of thoracic operations can be performed by the minimally invasive approach.