Learning mediastinoscopy: the need for education, experience and modern techniques—interdependency of the applied technique and surgeon's training level

Mediastinoscopy represents the gold standard for invasive mediastinal staging. While learning and teaching the surgical technique are challenging due to the limited accessibility of the operation field, both benefited from the implementation of video-assisted techniques. However, it has not been established yet whether video-assisted mediastinoscopy improves the mediastinal staging in itself.