The uni-portal video-assisted thoracic surgery: achievements and potentials.

Described for the first time in 2004 for performing minor lung resection, during the following ten years a growing scientific evidence supported the spread and evolution of the uni-portal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This novel approach, performed using a single thoracic incision, requires a change of perspective in relation to traditional VATS, offering on the other hand a great versatility for numerous surgical procedures. The present work reviews the literature inherent to the uni-portal VATS with the aim of highlighting the principles of this technique, the fields of application, the obtained results and the future perspectives.