About Pleuroscopy - Medical Thoracoscopy
Pleuroscopy, medical thoracoscopy & VATS (Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery) are at times interchangeable terms which refer to a procedure, performed in a minimally invasive manner, providing physicians a glimpse into the pleural space (a sac like space surrounding the lungs), both for diagnostic & therapeutic motives.
Diagnostic & Therapeutic Indications:
- Pleural Biopsies in Pleural effusion of unclear etiology
- Pleurodesis for Primary or metastatic pleural carcinomatosis
- Recurrent Pneumothorax
- Management of early empyema & complicated parapneumonic effusion
- Definitive treatments of blebs or bullae
- Lung biopsy for diagnosis of interstitial lung disease of unclear etiology