Thoracoscopic surgery is the abbreviation of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). Thoracoscopic surgery is considered a revolutionary breakthrough in thoracic surgery at the end of the twentieth century and is the most widely used thoracoscopic procedure in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. VATS is an operation performed through two to three small holes with the aid of video-assisted surveillance, which used to be performed by traditional open-heart surgery. It is essentially a “lumpectomy” operation with less trauma, faster recovery and shorter hospital stay compared to traditional open surgery. Advantages and advantages of thoracoscopic surgery: 1. Small surgical trauma: Ordinary open-chest surgery is more traumatic, with long incisions and the need to cut off all layers of chest wall muscles, and also to force open the intercostal space to expose the surgical field, which makes postoperative pain difficult to solve. Thoracoscopic surgery can be completed by making three small incisions of 1.5cm long on the chest wall, which greatly reduces the trauma. 2.Light postoperative pain: Ordinary open-heart surgery can last for months or even years due to large chest wall trauma, which has a great impact on the quality of life. After thoracoscopic surgery, patients can get out of bed within 48 hours, and the quality of life is basically not affected after surgery. 3, small wound, beautiful and short hospitalization time, can reduce the mental and economic burden of patients. 4, less postoperative complications, and no age requirement, is a better treatment choice for elderly patients who cannot tolerate open-heart surgery. Indications for thoracoscopic surgery: 1.Diagnostic surgery indications: It can be applied to the diagnosis of pleural, pulmonary, mediastinal and pericardial diseases and thoracic trauma. 2.Therapeutic surgery indications: ① Pleural diseases: abscess chest, pleural mesothelioma, metastases, trauma, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, etc. ② Pulmonary diseases: benign lung tumors, patients with early to mid-stage lung cancer, etc. ③ Esophageal diseases: esophageal smooth muscle tumor, esophageal diverticulum, cardia incontinentia, early esophageal cancer. ④ Mediastinal diseases: mediastinal tumors less than 5 cm, mediastinal cysts, etc. ⑤ Others: trauma, celiac disease, etc. Although thoracoscopic surgery has many advantages, it is not a panacea, so the specific surgical procedure should be decided by the attending surgeon after judging the condition and indications.