As we know, the vast majority of lung nodules are benign. However, a small percentage of nodules are diagnosed as suspicious or malignant and may need to be removed surgically.

What is the appropriate surgical procedure for the removal of a lung nodule? It depends on the characteristics and location of the nodule, and also takes into account factors such as the patient’s physical condition. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS), usually video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), is now widely used, of which single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SITS or single-port VATS) is a new approach.

What is single-port thoracoscopic surgery?

Conventional multi-port thoracoscopic surgery is performed through several, e.g. three or more, “ports” (incisions).

Less is more, single-port thoracoscopic surgery is an improvement on multi-port thoracoscopic surgery. As the name suggests, it is a thoracoscopic procedure performed through only one “port” (incision).

What are the advantages of single-port thoracoscopic surgery?

Firstly, the procedure is less invasive. There are several surgical incisions in a multi-port surgery; in a single-port there is only one.

Secondly, incisional pain and other discomforts are reduced. For example, in a common three-port thoracoscopy, the incisional pain is mostly caused by the observation port and the auxiliary operational port. In contrast, the single-incision procedure does not have these two incisions.

Thirdly, patients can recover and return to their normal lives more quickly.

Fourthly, the scar can be concealed. As single-port surgery has only one incision, which can be hidden in the lateral chest wall, the scar is not conspicuous.

What are the results of single-port thoracoscopic surgery?

Despite the single incision, the single-port procedure has been clinically proven to be safe and feasible for the removal of lung nodules and lymph node dissection, and is fully capable of achieving the results of multi-port thoracoscopic surgery.