Jason M. Long, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses specific minimally invasive thoracic surgery approaches in lung cancer.

Generally, video-assisted thoroscopic surgery has been the minimally invasive approach in lung cancer. However, there is a high and steep learning curve. Unless you undergo that training in fellowship, it’s very hard to convert from an open approach to a video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) approach in practice, says Long.

Robotic surgery has less of a learning curve than VATS; it’s a little easier to learn, says Long. It offers a better ability to see and get around structures safely. That has been the approach in minimally invasive surgery for the past 5 to 10 years. However, one of the difficulties with robotic surgery is you can’t palpate small lung nodules and navigational bronchoscopy can assist with that.

Jason M. Long, MD

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