An operation in which the surgeon makes a small incision (cut) in the chest wall and inserts a narrow tube with a light and a lens for viewing through the incision. Surgeons use thoracoscopy to examine the lungs or other structures in the chest cavity, take a tissue sample, introduce medicine into the lungs or treat fluid buildup around the lungs. The advantage of this technique is that surgeons don't need to cut through as much tissue as when they make a longer incision using traditional "open" surgery. This means your child will have a smaller scar and is likely to recover faster after surgery with less pain — and less need for narcotic pain killers that may have unpleasant side effects. In addition, children who have minimally invasive surgeries typically have shorter hospital stays. Thoracoscopic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery.