Video-Assisted Thorascopic Surgery (VATS)

Lung cancer surgery is a vital component of successfully treating patients for lung cancer. That’s why Hoag Family Cancer Institute offers the latest in state-of-the-art surgical options, including video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS).

VATS is a minimally invasive surgical technique in which surgeons utilize innovative scopes and other imaging tools to view and operate within the chest through several small incisions, rather than a large open incision. This procedure allows treatment of patients who may otherwise have been considered inoperable due to their age or other complicating medical conditions.

VATS is associated with shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain and faster recovery times, than traditional open thoracotomy procedures. Additionally, VATS has been shown to result in cancer survival rates that are equal to traditional open procedures. More than 75 percent of lung cancer patients are able to undergo VATS lobe resection.

Hoag is among only a handful of hospitals in the U.S. offering patients VATS lobectomy.

View an article and learn more about VATS and Hoag's Lung Cancer Program​.