Hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a novel minimally invasive approach for performing techniques conventionally performed by posterolateral thoracotomy. Hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery overcomes one of the major drawbacks of minimally invasive thoracic surgery in allowing full manual palpation of the lungs through a subcostal incision under video guidance, while avoiding a thoracotomy when the indication is pulmonary metastasectomy with curative intent or resection of undiagnosed lung nodules. The technique may result in improved quality of life outcomes compared with a thoracotomy.