Ahmed Sharif, Aqil Soomro, Soofia Ahmed, Naima Zamir, Jamshed Akhtar, Farhat Mirza.
Video assisted thoracoscopy in children.
J Surg Pak Nov ;13(1):36-9.

Objective: To determine the outcome of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in terms of its efficacy, safety and usefulness in children. Study design: Case series Place & Duration of study: Department of Paediatric Surgery Unit B, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, from May 2006 to December 2006 Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on patients who were admitted with various intra thoracic pathologies and had video assisted thoracoscopy. Results: Total of 13 patients underwent VATS. There were 6 patients of empyema thoracis who underwent thoracoscopic decortication and done successfully. There were four patient of hydatid disease among which three were converted into open thoracotomy. Two patients were of mediastinal masses and one of bronchopleural fistula. In these patients only biopsy was done which was conclusive in one patient who was diagnosed as having ganglioneuroma. In other biopsy was inconclusive. Biopsy report was that of tuberculosis in patient with bronchopleural fistula. Conclusions: Video-assisted thoracoscopy is a safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in children and this new approach has an important place in pediatric thoracic surgical practice. Thoracoscopic decortications can be treatment of choice for early empyema thoracis. As the learning curve progresses, more and more procedures can be done by VATS.

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