Abstract
Background The so-called nonintubated or awake video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (NIVATS)
is performed on spontaneously breathing patients, which was shown to reduce postoperative
complications and shorten hospital stay.
Case Description Awake uniportal VATS was indicated for the evacuation of an extensive, superinfected
hemothorax with symptomatic mediastinal shift in a patient with advanced mediastinal
SMARCA4-deficient tumor and declined condition, who did not allow a general anesthetic
procedure and was not a candidate for extensive surgery.
Conclusion This short microinvasive intervention was a prerequisite to stabilize the threat
to the patient's life and thus potentially enable any further tumor-specific therapy.
Keywords
thoracic surgery - mediastinal tumor - minimally invasive surgery - pathology - pleural
disease - thoracoscopy/VATS
