VIDEOASSISTED MEDIASTINOSCOPY. ANALYSIS ON 30 CASES

The Authors report their first experience in videoassisted mediastinoscopy during the last 36 monrhs (until August 1997). The case series consists of 20 patiens (12 males and 18 females) with mean age of 34 years. At the beginning we adopted the "classic" mediastinoscopy set-tool and a videothoracoscopic operative optic, but now we lse the video-mediastinoscopy device, designed by Lerut (Storz, Germany). The advantages of videoassisted mediastinoscopy are: - better surgical performance, - better settlement - multiple teaching The disadvantages are: - more experience of the operator, - expensiveness of the device. The indications for this operation have been only primitive mediastinal neoplasms (Hodgkin's Disease of mediastinal limphnodes or of the thymus). We have registered no perioperative morbidity or mortality. The drainage was pulled out on post-operative day I or 2 and discharge from hospital was on postoperative day 2.