The role of VATS in the diagnosis and treatment of mediastinal masses

We performed 158 operations for mediastinal lesions in general anaesthesia from 1st December 1995 to 31st May 2004 using video assistance. Among them 105 procedures were diagnostic and 53 therapeutic. There was no mortality and no serious complications. We believe that VATS technique provides a big help in the diagnosis of mediastinal diseases and in the treatment of the benign lesions. It is a responsible safe method and causes less stress for the patients.