[Thoracoscopic lobectomy. The first experiences in Denmark].

Introduction: This article reports the introduction of VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery) lobectomy in lung cancer patients in our department.
Methods: From 22 October 1999 to 15 December 2000, ten patients with peripheral primary lung cancer with no signs of spreading underwent VATS lobectomy. In an additional four patients, the resection started as VATS, but had to be converted to an open procedure.
Results: No 30 day mortality or late complications were seen. One patient who developed empyema underwent surgery and one had a stroke, but with total remission.
Discussion: We have shown that it is possible to introduce VATS lobectomy with acceptable results. A literature overview demonstrates that thoracoscopic lobectomies offer similar survival data to that of conventional surgery.