Experience in the treatment of thoracic herniated disc using image-guided thorascopy☆

Thoracoscopic micro-discectomy is a treatment option for thoracic disc disease that combines the advantages of the anterior approach and the benefits of a minimally invasive technique. Adding a navigation system provides many advantages to the usual technique, as it allows accurate marking of the lesion level, improvement in the surgical approach, and precise control of herniated disc resection and vertebral osteotomy. The navigation system also reduces the learning curve for thoracoscopic technique. We report our experience in the treatment of thoracic disc herniation with image-guided thoracoscopy.