Anterolateral transthoracic approach

see also Anterolateral transthoracic endoscopic approach.

21 patients underwent a anterolateral transthoracic approach from January 2012 to June 2017. The time analysis shows a progressive reduction in time from the first to the last case with continued improvement in operating time but progressively less dramatic, this is explicable considering the classic learning curve model. Predictably, a slow learning curve was charted that is typical for a technically demanding procedure associated with a rare incidence of pathology.

A learning curve is an easy and efficient way to gauge the growth of a surgeon. After 21 cases Anania et al., obtained an intermediate profile of learning curve between steep and shallow. Despite there being different alternatives for speeding up the learning process, it is not always possible to standardize and reflect them in a learning process. Today, the use of technology is often considered in this but does not always affect the process itself ¹⁾.