Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is high-skilled operation,which is tacit,scene-related,hard to transfer and individualized.The action formation of VATS is implemented by action orientation,imitation,integration,training and automation.The skill acquisition of VATS involves four overlapping steps:studying examples to do analogy,developing abstract rules,slowly moving to the use of production rules and retrieving specific examples.Research on teaching methods of VATS in the view of tacit knowledge helps to learn this skill better and more quickly.

Objective To analyze the safety, feasibility and operative technique details of non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph nodes dissection technique in uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) for lung cancer.Methods From April, 2014 to March, 2015,46 patients with lung cancer received non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph nodes dissection after uniportal VATS lobectomy.Clinical data of the cases were analyzed retrospectively.There were 19 males and 27 females.The age was(57.2 ± 9.0) (38-73) years.The first 6 cases were performed in the lateral decubitus position while the later 40 cases were all performed in the semiprone position.Results All cases accepted uniportal VATS non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph nodes dissection successfully.Arm fatigue of surgeon and assistant was obviously relieved when the patient was placed in the semiprone position.The thoracic drainage time was(3.2 ± 2.1) (1-12)days and the postoperative length of hospital-stay was(6.0 ± 4.5) (2-27) days.The number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes stations was (4.3 ± 0.8) (3-6)and the number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes was (11.8 ± 4.9) (4-30).There were 42 cases with stage No , lease wit stage N1, and 3 cases with stage N2 in pathological examination.Five patients developed minor postoperative complications.No perioperative death occurred.Conclusion Uniportal VATS non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph nodes dissection for lung cancer was safe and feasible, which could decrease the interference of the instruments and help to keep the surgical field clear.Non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph nodes dissection would be performed more smoothly in the semiprone position with less damage to lung and better ergonomics.

Background and purpose:With the improvement of skill of video-assisted thoracic surgery, thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy becomes more and more mature. This paper aimed to study the safety, feasibility and clinical features of thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy for stageⅠ lung cancer.Methods:Data from 64 patients who was diagnosed as having clinicalⅠ stage lung cancer and received thoracoscopic anatomic pulmonary segmentectomy were retrospectively analyzed from Mar. 2008 to Jan. 2014. There were 28 men and 36 women with a median age of 59 years (39-86 years).Results:Sixty-four patients underwent thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy successfully. The median operative time was 120 min (90-240 min). The median blood loss in operation was 50 mL (10-200 mL). The median thoracic drainage time was 3 d(2-7 d). The median postoperative length of stay was 5 d(3-23 d). There was no postoperative mortality or severe complications. There was one conversion to lobectomy but no conversion to thoracotomy. There were 51 patients with ground glass opacity (GGO). Of the 51 patients, postoperative pathology showed invasive adenocarcinoma in 30, adenocarcinoma in situ in 10, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma in 6 and benign lesions in 5.Conclusion:Thoracoscopic anatomic pulmonary segmentectomy is a feasible and safe technique for a skilled doctor. Not only can it be a method of diagnosis, but also it can be a method of treatment for clinical stageⅠ lung cancer, especially for GGO in lung.

Objective To analyze safety,efficacy and resection methods of video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) for the treatment of intralobar pulmonary sequestration(IPS).Methods Data of 17 patients who were diagnosed as IPS and received VATS from December 2006 to September 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were 7 males and 10 females with the mean age of 40.3 (14-61) years.Diagnosis was confirmed in 9 patients by enhanced CT and unconfirmed in 8 patients.Three ports were used for surgery.After the aberrant artery was confirmed,liner stapler was used in 16 patients to cut it and Hem-o-lok was used in 1 patient because the aberrant artery was about 3 mm in diameter and long enough.If the diameter of the aberrant artery was longer than 10 mm,a stapling device without knife was used to occlude it centrally and a second stapling device was used to cut it peripherally.Wedge resection or lobectomy was performed due to the different conditions.When the lesion was small with linited range in CT image and the lesion was easily distinguished from normal lung tissue during operation,wedge resection was preferred.Results Seventeen patients underwent VATS successfully without any conversion to thoracotomy or any serious complications.Five patients were planned to receive wedge resection and one was converted to lobectomy.Another 12 patients were planned to receive lobectomy and all succeeded.The mean operating time was 128 (80-170)min.The mean blood loss was 80 (5-200) ml.The mean days of chest tube maintained were 4.0 (2-6) days.The mean postoperative hospitalization days were 7.6 (4-11) days.All patients were diagnosed as IPS according to operating in-sight and postoperative pathology.There was no patient suffering from chronic cough,bloody sputum or recurrent pneumonia during the follow-up.Conclusion VATS for the treatment of IPS is safe and feasible.If conditions permit,wedge resection or segmentectomy may be preferred.

Objective    To analyze the safety and feasibility of the adhesion dissection in transaxillary uniportal thoracoscopy for palmar hyperhidrosis. Methods    Data of 168 patients, including 77 males and 91 females with an average age of 14 - 41 (24.3±5.4) years, who received transaxillary uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for palmar hyperhidrosis from January 2015 to July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Severe adhesion was found in 4 patients and mild adhesion was found in 12 patients. Artificial pneumothorax was used to help dissect adhesion. Preoperative CT scan could help locate the rib according to the relative position to azygos vein or aotic arch. Results    All of 168 patients were successfully completed with transaxillary uniportal VATS. Then chest tubes were put in the 4 severe adhesion patients. The tube was removed from one patient after 11 days because of air leak, and from the other three patients on the next day. The other 164 patients with or without adhesion were discharged from hospital on the operation day or the next day. Conclusion    Adhesion dissection in transaxillary uniportal VATS for palmar hyperhidrosis is safe and feasibile.

Objective To increase the advantage and decrease the disadvantage of posterior approach for uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) right upper lobectomy. Methods Data of 97 consecutive patients who received uniportal VATS right upper lobectomy using posterior approach in the semiprone position were retrospectively analyzed from Dec, 2014 to Dec, 2017. There were 41 males and 56 females at age of 26–79 (57.8±10.6) years. The hilar structure was cut from posterior to anterior one by one. The mediastinal lymph nodes were dissected if lung cancer was diagnosed. Results Ninety three of 97 patients were successfully completed with uniportal VATS right upper lobectomy using posterior approach, 3 of them were completed with posterior approach combined with anterior approach, and 1 of them needed thoracotomy. The mean operative time was 76–192 (127.0±32.0) min. The thoracic drainage time was 2–20 (3.4±2.7) d. The postoperative length of hospital stay was 3–23 (5.4±3.1) d. There were postoperative complications in 7 patients and no postoperative mortality. Conclusion Posterior approach for uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery right upper lobectomy is safe and feasible, which can decrease the fatigue of both the surgeon and the assistant. It also provides with better exposure of posterior mediastinum, less dragging lung, and less interference of the instruments and help keep the clear surgical field. In complicated cases, posterior approach could combine with anterior approach to complete the VATS lobectomy.