In the Clinic for Thoracic Surgery of the Military Medical Academy, another successful uniportal video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach to lung lobectomy was performed – minimally invasive surgical technique without the classic opening of the chest. Patient's M.R. (1984) is feeling well and her postoperative recovery is as expected.

The medical team during the surgery on Monday, July 23, 2018 consisted of Lieutenant Colonel Nebojsa Maric, Dr. Ljubinko Djenic, anesthesiologist Dr. Aleksandar Vranjanac and OR nurse Jasmina Lukic.

VATS - a modern thoracic surgery technique was included in the work of MMA chest surgeons in 2008. In January 2014, for the first time, lung lobectomy with the VATS method was done, and this one is the 51st lung lobectomy done with this technique. VATS implies the use of a special endoscopic instrument with a video camera (thoracoscope) and various small surgical instruments of small diameter that are placed into the chest through small ports. Its advantages over the classical are numerous, and the most important are the faster and easier recovery of patients with a lower intensity of postoperative pain and a shorter hospitalization.

For the application of VATS it is necessary to perfect maneuvering and coordination of the eye and hand of the surgeon for which they need licensed training and professional specializations in this area, preparation of the complete medical team participating in the operation, as well as modern medical equipment.

MMA surgeons have continuing education and training since 2012 in numerous European and world thoracic surgery centers, and the precondition for VATS surgery introduction in the MMA clinical practice was also the adequate medical equipment purchased at the end of 2013. So far, more than 4,000 different video-assisted thoracoscopic interventions have been done. In the last five years, the independent application of VATS for the treatment of lung cancer compared to all other thoracic surgical centers in Serbia is what has been achieved the most.

With more than 50 anatomical lung resection performed by VATS technique, the conditions are met to promote the MMA Thoracic Surgery Clinic in the VATS Education Training Center, which is a particularly professional achievement in this field.