Robotic thoracic surgery in children and adolescents—technology and adaptability

The advent of robotic surgery has ushered in new and exciting innovations in all aspects of thoracic surgery—from mediastinal procedures to esophageal and lung cancer operations. While the bulk of robotic thoracic surgery today is performed on adult patients, the robotic platform also offers opportunity to provide minimally-invasive procedures to selected pediatric patients. In this article we will review the most common robotic thoracic surgical operations that are appropriate for pediatric patients.