Actual possibilities of the Day-surgery in the treatment of lung neoplasms

AIM OF THE STUDY: To point out the actual possibilities to apply surgical treatments (diagnostic and therapeutics) for the cure of neoplastic disease of the lungs into an outpatient procedure. After a review of the recent literature, the Authors show problems and limits of such a program. The analysis of the invasive diagnostic procedures (video-mediastinoscopy, anterior medistinotomy, and thoracoscopy) shows that in most cases, a part from the kind of anesthesia, could be done in a short-term hospitalization. On the contrary, for pulmonary resection, all the experiences prove the practicability of the program, but only after careful selection of the patient, deep information of the patient and of his family and mostly, a proved integration between hospital and territory to warranty the continuation of the cures. CONCLUSION: The Authors believe that, mostly in their country, it is too early for a wide diffusion of new form of hospitalization different from the traditional one for the treatment of neoplastic disease of the lung.