PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Evaluation of the direct results of videothoracoscopic interventions for tumors and cysts of the mediastinum.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 138 patients with tumors and cysts of the mediastinum at the age from 12 to 79 years. In the anterosuperior area, a neoplasm was detected in 103 (74%) patients, anteroinferior — in 13 (9.4%), posterosuperior — in 14 (10.6%), in the posteroinferior area — in 8 (6%). All patients underwent videothoracoscopy.

RESULTS

In 98 (71%) patients, the neoplasm was completely removed, of which it was combined with atypical resection of the lung in 3 patients, of the pericardium in one patient. Benign neoplasm was diagnosed in 74 (53.6%) patients, malignant — in 64 (46.4%). The average length of the operation was 75.5 minutes, the volume of haemorrhage was 55 ml, the duration of the postoperative hospital stay was 5 days, the incidence of postoperative complications was 2.17%. Complex treatment of patients facilitated relief of postoperative complications without repeated operations on the mediastinum. There were no lethal outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Videothoracoscopic interventions are highly effective for the morphological verification of malignant mediastinal tumors, and are the method of choice in surgery for non-invasive mediastinal tumors and cysts. The use of videothoracoscopic surgeries in the radical removal of invasive mediastinal tumors is a subject of discussion and requires clarification of the indications for these interventions.