Pulmonary artery sarcoma resected via median sternotomy with thoracoscopic assistance.

Median sternotomy is frequently selected for the resection of pulmonary artery tumor, and pneumonectomy is performed for complete resection. However, it is difficult to see the inferior pulmonary vein and transect it safely via median sternotomy, so additional thoracotomy is often required and this is highly invasive. In the present case, we employed thoracoscopy (which we routinely use for VATS lobectomy) to transect the inferior pulmonary vein via median sternotomy without additional intercostal thoracotomy. This method has advantages for patients undergoing pneumonectomy via median sternotomy.