The mean preoperative and 12-month follow-up http://www.selleckchem.com/products/PF-2341066.html kyphosis angles were 34�� and 31�� in patients in whom reconstruction with bone graft was done [12]. In a series by Huang et al. (2000), the mean preoperative, postoperative, and 2-year follow-up kyphosis angles were 26.8��, 16.8��, and 26��, respectively [15]. Adequate debridement and decompression also make room for healthy cancellous bone apposition resulting in high fusion rates [24, 25]. In a series of 23 patients who underwent VATS by Jayaswal et al. (2007), 22 achieved fusion with an average time for fusion of 16.5 weeks. Sixteen patients had Grade I fusion and six had Grade II fusion, and failure of fusion was seen in one patient [12]. In a series by Kandwal et al. (2012), 22 of 23 patients who underwent VATS had good fusion (Grade I and Grade II) and there was failure of fusion in one patient [17].

All our cases were able to attain fusion; this slight variation from that of literature can be attributable to small sample size of our study. In our study, the VAS score for back pain improved from a pretreatment score of 8.3 to posttreatment 6-month and 12-month scores of 3.3 and 2, respectively. Kapoor et al. (2012) reported a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001 with Student's t-test) in VAS for back pain at three months compared to the preoperative period and at five-year followup compared to three months (P < 0.001) [13]. Functional outcome as assessed by modified Kirkaldy-Willis criteria at the time of final followup revealed result to be either excellent (n = 5) or good (n = 4). Huang et al.

(2000) in their study of 10 patients followed for 24 months reported results as excellent (n = 4), good (n = 5), or fair (n = 1) [15]. In a series by Kapoor et al. (2012), out of 30 patients, excellent results were obtained in 24 patients, good in four, and fair in two, with 95% of patients having a good or excellent result [13]. As far as complications are concerned, all the complications of conventional thoracotomy are possible with the VATS procedure with a reported rate of 24.4�C31.3% [16]. Dense pleural adhesion was encountered in two patients and to complete the procedure, we had to convert VATS into minithoracotomy. This has been reported as a complication of the procedure by others [12, 13, 15]. But we believe that this is not a complication of VATS per se, but a limitation of the procedure.

None of the patients had intercostal neuralgia, which is a common complication in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). We did not encounter other complications of VATS reported in the literature like wound infection, dural tear, increase in neurologic deficit, chylothorax, Horner syndrome, encysted effusion, Cilengitide postoperative air leak, pneumothorax [26]. Our study has its own set of limitations. To name them, the study population was small and control group was lacking. Also, this series describes our early experiences with VATS.