Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy: a matter of competence

Endoscopic major pulmonary resections are surely the greatest revolution in the world of thoracic surgery since Eric Carlens introduced his “flexible double lumen catheter” for isolated lung ventilation (1). Such innovative surgical technique deemed to be superior to open thoracic surgery in several aspects: less respiratory as well as cardiologic postoperative complications, shorter length of hospital stay and increased efficacy for treatment of patients with poor pulmonary function.