Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) surgery has become the standard technique in Thoracic Surgery since its introduction 20 years ago. Single port VATS appeared as the next step in its evolution, with rapid development since the first uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy (VATS lobectomy) by Dr. Diego Gonzalez-Rivas. During the last 5 years, the approach has been simplified, standardized and taught in many countries, courses, live surgery and dedicated programs, with reproducible results. Hands-on courses represent the best way to learn a new surgical technique, as it shortens learning curves and decreases complications. We present the first training course in single port VATS in our country, which became the first hands course in Thoracic Surgery in Chile. Along with the participation of Dr. Diego Gonzalez-Rivas, renowned Latin-American surgeons would participate. As hosts of the Congress, we enthusiastically agreed to coordinate the Course. These were days of intense preparation for the Pre-Congress Course, which would become the first practical theoretical course of Thoracic Surgery held in our country, and the first uniport masterclass in Chile.ALAT Congress Single Port VATS Course "Curso pre Congreso de ALAT: lobectomía VATS Unipuerto" was held on July 6, 2016, at the Clinical Simulation Center of the Catholic University of Chile. It consisted of morning theoretical activities, practice in a perfused lung model and finally single port VATS practice in a swine model. A review of the course can also be found on the ALAT website (www.alatorax.org/cirugia-toracica/boletin-noticias-cirugiatoracica/resena-del-curso-pre-congreso-lobectomia-vatsunipuerto).Dr. Diego Gonzalez-Rivas was the main guest speaker. Leading Latin-American surgeons with extensive experience in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and single port VATS also participated as speakers and instructors: Drs. David Smith from Argentina, Ricardo Terra and Fernando Vanucci from Brazil, and Cristián González from Chile.During the morning theoretical lectures, the evolution of VATS to the single port approach, the requirements of the technique, its use in different surgeries, and the management of intraoperative complications were presented.A detailed description of technical aspects of single port VATS, OR distribution, instruments, and required equipment was made by Dr. Smith. Single port VATS use in sublobar resections was presented by Dr. Vanucci, while single port lymphadenectomy was presented by Dr. Terra.Finally, Dr. Gonzalez-Rivas shared with us his extensive experience in single port lobectomy, pneumonectomy, and management of complications, with detail in technical aspects, critical points, and resolution of challenges and complications.During the afternoon we had the hands-on course, starting on a dry-lab with a perfused pig heart-lung ex vivo model, allowing greater surgical practice during the course. The model was designed by investigators of the Clinical Simulation Center of the Catholic University of C...
