Thoracoscopic limited resection of bronchogenic carcinoma in patients over the age of 80.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has emerged as a minimally invasive therapy of bronchogenic carcinoma, when the diseases occur in patients unable to tolerate open thoracotomy who are 80 years old or older. We report on an 80-year-old man with poor pulmonary function and an 83-year-old man, who were treated with a complete VATS resection of bronchogenic carcinoma. Mean chest tube duration of the two patients was one day and mean postoperative hospital stay was 7 days with an uncomplicated postoperative course. Compared with patients with open thoracotomy, there were early mobility, less morbidity, and less mortality. We believe that when the indication for treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma in patients over the age of 80 with concomitant systemic disorders, a thoracoscopic limited resection should be considered.