During the Uni-VATS procedure, the surgeon creates a small incision, several centimeters wide, between the ribs. This single cut serves as a port for both traditional surgical instruments and the thoracoscope, a long, thin rod attached to a fiber-optic video camera. The thoracoscope allows the surgeon to visualize the pleural cavity and the lungs and conduct the surgery without needing to open the chest wall. Through this single, small incision, the surgeon can perform biopsies or resections of pulmonary tissue, as well as more intensive procedures such as chest wall reconstruction.

Historically, a sternotomy or thoracotomy was required to perform these procedures, which involved opening the chest with a sternal saw or mechanically spreading apart the ribs to gain access to the pleural cavity, where the lungs are situated. Uni-VATS allows access to the chest via a single incision, which can reduce complications associated with thoracic surgery and improve recovery time.

Many of those in need of thoracic surgery could benefit from a minimally invasive approach such as Uni-VATS, which has been proven to be an equally effective procedure for lung tissue biopsies and resections as well as reconstructing the chest wall.
Uni-VATS can be used to diagnose and treat people with lung cancer and other chest tumors; to remove air or fluid trapped around the lung; and to relieve excess sweating (also known as hyperhidrosis) by targeting certain nerves within the chest.