Assistant Training Using Videothoracoscopy

Society for Translational Medicine expert consensus on training and certification standards for surgeons and assistants in minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer

“…This experience allows for strengthening the sense of space and the ability to position instruments under thoracoscopic view. As first or second assistant, learning how to maintain the proper force of retraction and adjust the orientation of the tissue in concert with the camera view is also very important (26,27). Most of the experts believe that each of these stages requires approximately 30 surgeries.…”

Training with Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery

“…Using the staple proved to be safe and provided confidence. 2 We are of the opinion that a good VATS surgeon must be also good in open surgery, because all operations could be changed to open surgery.…”