A Rare Complication of Vats: Acquired Intercostal Lung Herniation

Lung herniation is a rare condition defined as the protrusion of lung parenchyma through a defect in the thoracic wall. It is usually caused by trauma or iatrogenic factors. A 57-year-old male patient underwent thoracoscopic surgery for a solitary pulmonary nodule in the right upper lobe in 2017. He presented in late 2019 with a worsening cough and a painful bulging mass on the anterior chest wall. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed the diagnosis of lung herniation. Surgical repair was performed using a prosthetic mesh. The patient was discharged on the second post-operative day with complete resolution of symptoms. We present this case to highlight pulmonary herniation as a rare complication following Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) and discuss it in light of recent literature.