The Variability of Practice in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery for Pulmonary Resections

Although minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS), under various denominations, is currently the accepted approach to the management of several thoracic diseases, its use for the treatment of lung cancer and infectious conditions of surgical interest is still debated, both from a philosophic and a technical point of view. The concept of minimally invasive pulmonary resections still provokes several controversies as to the terminology, the indications, and the techniques used by different surgeons. The issue of the variability of practice in this field of MITS is addressed through an analysis of the most recent literature and the results of an international survey that was originated and devised by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and supported by CTSnet.