Pneumothorax Support Group

I have a question what is vats surgery?

I'm not sure what VATS is. I have had 2 (1 oneach side) thorocotomies with open pleurodisis and sclerosing of the surrounding tissue. The doctors have told me it is almost immpossible to collapse the lung even if needed, like for back surgery. It is possible to get collapses of up to about 5% but those clear up on their own. I have had one 2% collapse but it cleared up in a couple days. My surgeries were in 92 & 95.

If you have had a similar surgery to what I did, let me forwarn you, it can result in never ending cases of pluerosy. I get it every time I cough, sneeze or lift something heavy. I hope you don't have this problem

VATS stands for Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery. I had a VATS surgery a year ago after having a traumatic induced pneumothorax. What they do is they go into your lung cavity and reinflate the lung and then do a proccess called pleurodesis which is where they essentially stick your lung to the wall of the chest cavity in order to prevent it from collapsing again.