Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy and en bloc resection of the chest wall with incision of the costovertebral joints for non-small cell lung cancer

We describe a case of lung lobectomy and resection of the rib neck and head in a lung cancer patient with an invasion of the chest wall. The tumor was located in the upper lobe, adjacent to the neck of the third rib. We performed a right upper lobectomy and en bloc resection of the third rib, including the rib neck and head, by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with an additional 6 cm posterior incision along the right paravertebral line. The costovertebral joint incision procedure is a useful technique to ensure tumor-free margins in cases where the tumor is located close to the rib’s neck and head.