El acceso transcervical en cirugía torácica: indicaciones actuales y resultados

the transcervical approach in thoracic surgery, already in use in trie 19th century for drainage of mediastinal infections, became the gold standard of lung cáncer staging by mid-20th century with mediastinoscopy and its technical variants. the adaptation of video cameras for endoscopio use and the design of the new videomediastinoscopes allowed, at the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21 st, the performance through this approach of many operations that required a thoracotomy, such as mediastinal lymphadenectomy, repair of bronchial fístulas, removal of mediastinal tumours, oesophagectomies and lobectomies, thus avoiding the complications derived from thoracotomy. the low morbidity and mortality rates of these procedures should prompt training in this access and its consideration in current surgical practice.