Video assisted laser resection of lung metastases: a new surgical technique

Lung metastases may be found in almost every kind of malignant tumor. If appropriate, surgical removal should be considered. The goal of surgery is complete removal of all existing lung metastases. Frequently open access is favored in order to inspect all parts of the affected lung and detected metastases are preferably removed non-anatomically applying a Nd:YAG laser. The innovative surgical technique described here allows for palpation of the entire lung via a minithoracotomy and facilitates video-assisted removal of all lung metastases. Thus the benefits of minimally invasive surgery can be harnessed for the patients at the same time offering radical tumor removal. It may be estimated that the technique described will become the future standard procedure for surgery of lung metastases.