Fig. 1

Chest computed tomography (CT) image, operating position, and port location for robotic anterior and superior mediastinal tumour surgery. (A-C) Semi-lateral position with 45 degrees elevation (right approach). (D-F) Semi-lateral position with 45 degrees elevation (left approach). Two 8-mm ports were used for the robotic instruments (right for an ultrasonic scalpel and electric hook, left for a fenestrated bipolar forceps to assist in exposing the surgical field), and one 12-mm (for the Da Vinci Si system)/8-mm (for the Da Vinci Xi system) port was used for the robotic camera. A 12-mm trocar was placed in the seventh intercostal space on the midaxillary line as an assistant port. Each adjacent port was made 8–10 cm apart to avoid obstruction between instruments, and CO₂ insufflation was set at 6–8 mmHg