Video-assisted thoracoscopic extirpation of a posterior mediastinal mass using the da vinci computer enhanced surgical system

A 28-year-old woman presented a left posterior mediastinal mass surrounded by the intercostal vein, hemiazygos vein, sympathetic nerve, and descending aorta. We successfully resected the mass, that was revealed to be a bronchogenic cyst, by a totally thoracoscopic procedure using the da Vinci computer-enhanced system (Intutive Surgical, Mountain View, CA) without injuring the neighboring structures or the capsule of the mass.