Mediastinoscopy
Mediastinoscopy is similar to thoracoscopy except that the incision is made at or near the notch at the base of the neck and the camera is inserted to inspect the area between the lungs, also known as the mediastinum. The mediastinal area includes the larger airways, the esophagus, the large blood vessels known as the aorta and vena cava, and the heart in its pericardial sac, as well as nerves and other blood vessels. Lymph nodes are also located in the mediastinum, and are often the earliest places that a cancer will spread. It is not uncommon for the lymph nodes to be biopsied during a mediastinoscopy.
Anna L. Kaplan, M.D.