2016 Annual report from the Italian VATS Group

This report highlights the results of the Italian video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) Group, launched in mid 2013, which now has a website and an established database with over 4000 VATS lobectomy cases recruited from 67 thoracic surgery units across Italy. The year 2016 has been crucial for the following steps: inclusion of a dedicated biostatistician and a 'Survey Analysis & Data Quality Check'; the First Consensus Meeting with statements consequently adopted as Recommendations for the Italian Thoracic Surgery Society and published in a peer-reviewed journal; two papers published under the logo Italian VATS Group and seven abstracts accepted at annual international meetings (European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, European Lung Cancer Conference and European Respiratory Society); the institution of a Master Course on VATS lobectomy; the partnership with AME Publishing Company.