VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery)
VATS (Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) is a minimally invasive surgery used to diagnose and treat illness or injury to the lungs and other organs in the chest cavity. A tiny camera called a thoracoscope and surgical instruments are inserted through the chest wall. The surgeons can perform procedures on the heart or lungs inside the chest using live video imaging on a screen.
Unlike VATS which is a minimally invasive surgical technique to examine and treat chest related problems; thoracotomy is a major operative procedure which is done to open the chest and diagnose or treat lungs or other organs in the chest cavity.