Anesthesia for thoracoscopy.

Thoracoscopy has become a widely used method of achieving minimally invasive thoracic surgery. The anesthesiologist providing perioperative care for VATS is challenged to evaluate the patient carefully; to design a safe anesthetic regimen, taking into account preexisting disorders; to ameliorate physiologic alterations associated with one-lung ventilation and CO2 insufflation; and to provide safe, effective perioperative anesthesia and postoperative pain control.