Use of CO₂ in video assisted thoracic surgery and single-lumen endotracheal tube—a new less invasive approach

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been extensively used to allow laparoscopic procedures, due to its extensive advantages in obtaining a fairly innocuous pneumoperitoneum to allow visceral dissection. Its use in video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has seldom been described. We present our experience in more than 100 patients, operated for various thoracic pathologies, in whom we created a surgical pneumothorax to allow different surgeries to be undertaken.