Minimally invasive surgery is one of the main directions of surgical development. Its correct concept should be: a surgical treatment method that puts the body in a stable internal environment, with minimal surgical incisions, minimal organ tissue trauma and minimal systemic and local inflammatory reactions. Its complete concept requires the removal, repair or treatment of lesions, deformities, tumors, etc. in the body by delivering special instruments, physical energy or chemical agents into the body with minimal trauma and pathways. It requires minimal damage to the body and tissues, and is not limited to which modality or tool is used. Minimally invasive surgery certainly causes significantly less systemic and local damage to the patient (not only based on the size of the incision) than traditional surgery. The application of minimally invasive surgical techniques in general thoracic surgery is basically represented by TV thoracoscopy as the main component, plus the combined application with various small incisions, mediastinoscopy or laparoscopy to achieve the purpose of less trauma, less bleeding, lighter pain passage, fewer complications in the operation hand and shorter hospital stay. Its specific applications in general thoracic surgery include: 1, diagnosis and treatment of pleural diseases 1) pleural biopsy; 2) pleural tumor resection; 3) pleural fixation; 4) pulmonary fiber membrane debridement and debridement of abscess thorax; 5) wall pleurodesis. (2) Diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases (1) lung biopsy; (2) pulmonary lobectomy; (3) lung wedge resection; (4) lobectomy or total pneumonectomy; (5) diagnosis and staging evaluation of lung cancer, T1 N0 M0 non-small cell carcinoma pneumonectomy; (6) emphysema lung decompression (both transthoracoscopic and transbronchoscopic). (3) Diagnosis and treatment of tracheal diseases (treated by TV laser rigid bronchoscopy) (1) resection of benign tumors with narrow endotracheal tissues; (2) palliative treatment for restoring airway patency due to malignant tumors or benign lesions in the trachea. (4) Diagnosis and treatment of mediastinal diseases (1) mediastinal tumor resection; (2) thymus and thymoma resection; (3) mediastinal lymph node dissection; (4) thoracic sympathetic nerve chain severance or resection; (5) vagotomy; (6) thoracic duct ligation. (5) Diagnosis and treatment of esophageal diseases: (1) esophageal myotomy; (2) esophageal smooth muscle tumor removal; (3) esophagectomy; (4) diagnosis and staging evaluation of esophageal cancer and intrathoracic free thoracoscopy for stage 0, I and IIa esophageal cancer; (5) thoracoscopy or mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopy (free stomach) for radical esophageal cancer; (6) esophageal diverticulectomy; (7) esophageal perforation with mediastinal infection debridement and drainage. (6) Others (1) Diagnosis and treatment of chest trauma ① Hemothorax hemostasis and clot removal; ② Diagnosis and repair of diaphragmatic rupture; ③ Repair of esophageal rupture; ④ Repair of pulmonary rupture; ⑤ Repair of combined thoracoabdominal injury. (2) Gastric fundoplication. (3) Diagnosis and treatment of various common and frequent general thoracic surgical diseases in pediatric patients as mentioned above. (4) Diagnosis and treatment of thoracic spine diseases: thoracic disc abscess drainage, thoracic disc or vertebral body biopsy, thoracic disc herniation excision, thoracic spine deformity anterior release correction, thoracic disc interspace implant fusion. With the development of robots combined with high technology such as imaging, information science, and remote control technology, it is expected that in the near future, robots will partially replace the work of surgeons.