Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery and Anatomical Lung Resections. Where Do We Stand? National Survey by the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery

• Published in: Cirugia española (English ed.) Vol. 95; no. 1; pp. 24 - 29
• Main Authors: Embun, Raul, Martínez Hernández, Néstor, Call, Sergi, de Olaiz Navarro, Beatriz, Zabaleta, Jon, Ramos, Ricard, Galbis, Jose, Moreno, Nicolás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier España 01-01-2017
• Subjects: Carcinoma de pulmón de células no pequeñas; Cirugía torácica video-asistida; Encuestas de cuidados en salud; Health care surveys; Non-small cell lung carcinoma; Surgery; Video-assisted thoracic surgery; Cirugía torácica video-asistida; Non-small cell lung carcinoma; Carcinoma de pulmón de células no pequeñas; Encuestas de cuidados en salud; Health care surveys; Video-assisted thoracic surgery
• ISSN: 2173-5077; 2173-5077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cireng.2016.09.016

Abstract Introduction The objective of this survey is to find out the cumulated experience and the current situation of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for anatomical lung resections in Spain. Methods This is a descriptive study performed from two independent surveys designed through the Survey Monkey® web platform. The first survey was aimed at 53 thoracic surgery departments from the public and state-assisted national health system. The second survey, of a personal nature, was directed at 315 thoracic surgeons in active service, including physicians at their residency program. The surveys were kept operative from 18/11/2014 to 15/01/2015. Results The first survey was answered by 32 (60%) departments and the second by 167 (53%) professionals. A total of 29 (91%) of the thoracic surgery departments represented recognized having some level of experience in this technique. However, a great proportion of departments, 15 (52%), counted less than 100 procedures and the cumulated time of experience was lower than 5 years in 19 (66%) departments. Among all the individual respondents, 126 (77%) admitted having performed the procedure at some point. Of those without any experience, at least 36 (95%) of them recognized that future training in this technique is one of their future professional objectives. Conclusions Waiting for future prospective national registries contribute further information about the expansion of this technique in our country, the results of the current survey show, up to now, the best reflection of clinical practice and opinion of the surgeons involved in the development of VATS.