Thoracoscopic lung biopsy. Five commonly asked questions about video-assisted thoracic surgery.

VATS has proved to be an extremely useful diagnostic tool. Perhaps its most frequent application has been in lung biopsy to diagnose indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules and interstitial infiltrates. In many institutions, VATS procedures have largely replaced previous methods of attempting to establish the nature of a solitary pulmonary nodule. In ambulatory patients with indeterminate infiltrates, VATS techniques have prompted earlier referral to establish a tissue diagnosis, with apparently decreased morbidity. VATS has clearly found a place in the modern practice of thoracic surgery and is likely to play an ever-increasing role in the management of diseases of the chest.