Team Training for Nonintubated Thoracic Surgery

Abstract

Nonintubated thoracic surgery arose as supplemental evolution of minimally invasive surgery and is gaining popularity. A proper nonintubated thoracic surgery unit is mandatory and should involve surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, and scrub and ward nurses. Surgical training should involve experienced and young surgeons. It deserves a step-by-step approach and consolidated experience on video-assisted thoracic surgery. Due to difficulty in reproducing lung and diaphragm movements, training with simulation systems may be of scant value; instead, preceptorships and invited proctorships are useful. Preoperatively, patients must be fully informed. Effective intraoperative communication with patients and among the surgical team is pivotal.

Keywords: Learning process; Nonintubated thoracic surgery; Surgical training; VATS.