Surgeons at Saint Peter's were pioneers in Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) when the first surgery was performed at the hospital in 1991. VATS is a superior alternative to traditional open thoracic surgery because it minimizes tissue damage and eliminates rib damage. Most patients require minimal pain medication and are often discharged from the hospital the day after surgery.

Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to access the chest cavity to operate on the lung, mediastinum and pleura. Primarily, VATS is utilized to treat conditions such as cancer, pneumothorax, infection, cysts and other thoracic disorders – providing patients with significant benefits.