Video-Assisted Mediastinoscopic Surgery: Clinical Feasibility and Accuracy of Mediastinal Lymph Node Staging

In our institutional practice, VAMS has replaced conventional mediastinoscopy for reasons of extended surgical options, safety, precision, education, documentation, and enhanced accuracy of pretherapeutic mediastinal staging. Mediastinal staging of resectable bronchial carcinoma is done by VAMLA, because the accuracy is equal to open lymphadenectomy and the access to the left paratracheal and tracheobronchial lymph nodes is improved. No increase in the complication rate was observed. Prolonged operation time was due to more extended procedures not possible with conventional mediastinoscopy, like VAMLA.