Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS)

Advantages of Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgical techniques, when paired with Mayo Clinic-developed treatment strategies that reduce pain and minimize use of opioid medications, offer a number of advantages for patients:

• Many patients leave the hospital in only one to two days versus three to five days, and return to work and daily activities much sooner.
• There is usually less trauma to the body.
• The patient often has less need for pain medication.
• VATS leaves a smaller surgical scar.