The application of a single-direction strategy in VATS segmentectomy: left S3 segmentectomy.

Abstract

A video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) segmentectomy is a technical challenge. This is due to the sophisticated anatomical variations in the segmental bronchus and vessels as well as an obscure surgical demarcation(s). For some, a segmentectomy procedure can be regarded as a lobectomy in the situations of the absence of lung fissures. Thus, the strategy of single-direction VATS lobectomy was applied in our VATS segmentectomy practice. After the introduction of this strategy, we presented the single-direction VATS left S3 segmentectomy as an example to introduce the technical characteristics of the single-direction segmentectomy.