Thoracoscopic Resection of Symptomatic Herniated Thoracic Discs.

The article discusses the cumulative data of a surgical database on thoracoscopically treated herniated thoracic discs (HTDs). The data collected were from 121 patients, between 1994 and 2008, who underwent thoracoscopic-assisted operation for HTDs. The study concluded that thoracoscopy is a safe and effective choice for the resection of HTDs whereby patients experienced shorter hospitalization, shorter chest tube duration and less risk for intercostal neuralgia.