Thoracoscopy in pediatrics: Surgical perspectives

Thoracoscopic surgery and other minimally invasive approaches in children achieved marked advancement and expanded to include several disciplines in the last decade. The new armamentarium of the minimally invasive surgery including the smaller instruments and better magnification led to the application of this technology in the small infants and neonates. Currently, thoracoscopy is considered the preferred surgical approach for various conditions in neonates and infants over the standard thoracotomy, and thoracoscopic training is included in the surgical training curriculum for the residents in many institutes worldwide. Children are different from adults, and technique modifications are required when using thoracoscopy in children. Thoracoscopy showed satisfactory results in several operations including pulmonary resections, mediastinal tumors biopsies or resections, repair of the diaphragmatic hernias, decortication, and tracheoesophageal fistula. This review aims to address the unique aspects of thoracoscopic surgery in children, identify its potential technical and anatomical challenges, and the proposed solutions. A literature search for latest and relevant publications was done using the keywords (thoracoscopy; pediatric; lung biopsy; decortication; lobectomy; mediastinum; esophagus; and diaphragmatic hernia).