Exploring uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy in pediatric oncology: early insights and surgical results

Although becoming a well-recognised approach for adult patients, extremely limited literature exists concerning uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (U-VATS) among pediatric cases. This study aims to present our initial experience with this approach, since a interinstitutional protocol was signed between a Thoracic and a Pediatric Surgery Departments to treat oncological pediatric patients.

Perioperative parameters and surgical outcomes for all pediatric oncology patients who underwent a U-VATS surgery in our department from March 2020 to December 2022.

Ten patients underwent U-VATS operation. There were three aspergilloma resection, three mediastinal biopsies for lymphopoietic tumours and three metastasectomies—one previously marked by interventional radiology. One paraganglioma case was converted to open, due to tumour location in the left atrium. The median age was 15.5 years (3–17). Median operating time was 55 min. Thirty-day mortality rate was zero, and median length of stay was 2.5 days. There were no complications to report. With this early experience, we value its advantage to allow palpation of thoracic masses when compared to traditional thoracoscopy.

The application of this technique in pediatric population is not widespread and reports in literature are still limited. However, we emphasize in the reproducibility and safety of single incision VATS, already encompassing a range of diverse procedures.