VATS is a surgical procedure used in the chest and lungs. It is a type of 'keyhole' surgery where only very small cuts (incisions) are made to the body. VATS uses a special instrument called a thoracoscope. VATS uses a special instrument called a thoracoscope. This is a thin, tube-like instrument which shines light from the end inserted into the patient. It also transmits images back to an eyepiece or video display so the surgeon can see into the chest cavity. VATS can be used to do a wide range of things, including take small samples of tissues (biopsies) from the lungs. These samples can then be examined in the laboratory.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/treatment-medication/video-assisted-thoracoscopic-surgery