Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to diagnose and treat problems in your chest. During a VATS procedure, a tiny camera (thoracoscope) and surgical instruments are inserted into your chest through one or more small incisions in your chest wall.
CPT® codes for reporting VATS procedures are found in the 32601-32609 series for diagnostic procedures, and 32650-32674 for surgical procedures.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a type of surgery for diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions involving the chest area (thorax). It uses a special video camera called a thoracoscope. It is a type of minimally invasive surgery.
VATS lung surgery has revolutionized the treatment of many different lung diseases. VATS is major surgery that has risks and potential complications. You may have less invasive treatment options.
Code 32557 describes the placement of an indwelling catheter into the pleural space with imaging guidance for drainage of air (pneumothorax), fluid or infection, and covers this procedure. Code 32551 is for “OPEN” chest tube placement, usually by a surgeon, with a large, usually about 30Fr or so chest tube.
Code 32666 identifies an initial therapeutic wedge resection using VATS. If performed bilaterally, modifier 50 may be appended to the code. Add-on code 32667 is used to report additional thoracoscopic therapeutic wedge resections.
Meta-analysis found significantly fewer overall complications after VATS compared with open thoracotomy. Specifically, patients who underwent VATS were significantly less likely to develop prolonged air leak, pneumonia, atrial arrhythmias and renal failure compared with matched patients who underwent open thoracotomy.
VATS thoracotomy: During a thoracotomy, doctors typically open your chest in the side for access to the pleural cavity, which is the space between the lungs and under the chest wall. VATS procedure for pleural effusion: Sometimes fluid builds up within the pleural space, which is known as pleural effusion.
Conclusions: VATS lobectomy offers patients who are considered to be at increased risk for open lobectomy a feasible procedure, with no difference in overall survival compared with SR patients, and decreased morbidity compared with open lobectomy.
Recovery time following VATS lobectomy varies from person to person. Most patients spend one to three days in the hospital, followed by up to a week of recovery at home before returning to daily activities. Routine follow-up appointments are critical after surgery to help ensure tumor remission.
The most frequent thoracic surgeries are performed for the treatment of primary lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. For lung cancer, the standard procedures are pneumonectomy and lobectomy with associated mediastinal lymphadenectomy.
Results 1415 patients with PSP underwent VATS with talc poudrage. The most frequent indications were recurrent pneumothorax (92.2%) and persistent air leak (6.5%). The complication rate was 2.0% of which 1.7% was prolonged air leak. There was no mortality.