[Robot-assisted thoracic surgery-Areas of application and limitations].

The proportion of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) is continuously increasing. The main areas of clinical application are anatomical lung resections with lymphadenectomy and resection of mediastinal tumors. Especially in the area of the thymus robot-assisted procedures can now be considered the gold standard. Overall, the limitations of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) can be overcome by the use of robot-assisted surgery and thus a larger proportion of patients can be treated with minimally invasive procedures. The safety of the RATS procedure has been repeatedly demonstrated, although it remains difficult to demonstrate scientifically measurable benefits. With the introduction of new systems on the market further technical evolution and improvement can be expected in the future.