Résections pulmonaires majeures à thorax fermé pour carcinome bronchique de stade I

Although the first thoracoscopic lobectomies were performed almost 20 years ago, the technique has only been accepted for about 5 years. Depending on which country, its penetration rate ranges from 3 % to 60 %. In France, it is only recently that thoracoscopy has been considered as a valid alternative to thoracotomy, following the publications of large series reporting a reduced morbidity with equivalent oncological results. Basing on our series of major pulmonary resections for stage I-non small cell bronchial carcinomas (NSCBC) performed under a totally endoscopic approach, the benefits and the limitations of these techniques are discussed.