Thoracoscopic parasternal lymph node dissection for the staging of breast cancer.

: With the advent of advanced thoracoscopic techniques, new applications have been expanding their roles in thoracic surgery. The aim of this paper is to introduce our new thoracoscopic approach in performing parasternal lymph node dissection of advanced breast cancer for its staging. This technique does not need the removal of any costal cartilage which is usually done in the conventional classical technique after radical mastectomy. Thoracoscopic procedure, in which wide and complete parasternal lymph node dissection is done, is minimally invasive and easy to perform. Therefore, the thoracoscopic technique may be a suitable alternative to the conventional approach in the future.