Objective:Toevaluatetheshort-termoutcomesofvideo-assistedthoracicsurgery(VATS)forthoracictumors.Methods:Thedataof1,790consecutivepatientswereretrospectivelyreviewed.ThesepatientsunderwentVATSpulmonaryresections,VATSesophagectomies,andVATSresectionsofmediastinaltumorsorbiopsiesattheCancerInstitute&Hospital,ChineseAcademyofMedicalSciencesbetweenJanuary2009andJanuary2012.Results:Therewere33patientsconvertedtoopenthoracotomy(OT,1.84%).Theoverallmorbidityandmortalityratewas2.79%(50/1790)and0.28%(5/1790),respectively.TheoverallhospitalizationandchesttubedurationwereshorterintheVATSlobectomygroup(n=949)thanintheopenthoracotomy(OT)lobectomygroup(n=753).Therewerenosignificantdifferencesinmorbidityrate,mortalityrateandoperationtimebetweenthetwogroups.Intheesophagealcancerpatients,nosignificantdifferencewasfoundinthenumberofnodaldissection,chesttubeduration,morbidityrate,mortalityrate,andhospitallengthofstaybetweentheVATSesophagectomygroup(n=81)andopenesophagectomygroup(n=81).However,theoperationtimewaslongerintheVATSesophagectomygroup.Inthethymomapatients,therewasnosignificantdifferenceinthechesttubeduration,morbidityrate,mortalityrate,andhospitallengthofstaybetweentheVATSthymectomygroup(n=41)andopenthymectomygroup(n=41).However,theoperationtimewaslongerintheVATSgroup.ThemediantumorsizeintheVATSthymectomygroupwascomparablewiththatintheOTgroup.Conclusions:Inearly-stage(I/II)non-smallcelllungcancerpatientswhounderwentlobectomies,VATSiscomparablewiththeOTapproachwithsimilarshort-termoutcomes.Inpatientswithresectableesophagealcancer,VATSesophagectomyiscomparablewithOTesophagectomywithsimilarmorbidityandmortality.VATSthymectomyforMasaokastageIandIIthymomaisfeasibleandsafe,andtumorsizeisnotcontraindicated.Longerfollow-upsareneededtodete
