Educational quality of YouTube videos on video assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy

Video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy (VATS) is increasingly performed as a parenchyma-sparing procedure for early-stage lung cancer, yet standardized educational resources remain limited. YouTube is widely accessed by surgeons and trainees, but the educational quality of its content is largely unregulated. This study systematically evaluated YouTube videos on VATS segmentectomy using the validated LAParoscopic surgery Video Educational GuidelineS (LAP-VEGaS) tool. A structured search was performed on June 12, 2025, and 34 videos with ≥ 2500 views were included. Two experienced thoracic surgeons independently assessed all videos, and inter-rater agreement was measured using Cohen's kappa. The mean LAP-VEGaS score was 6.6 (range 2-14), with only 23.5% of videos reaching the validated threshold (≥ 11) for adequate educational quality. No significant correlation was observed between LAP-VEGaS scores and popularity metrics such as views, likes, or duration, although narration was strongly associated with higher scores. To our knowledge, this is the first study systematically evaluating VATS segmentectomy videos on YouTube using LAP-VEGaS. These findings demonstrate that most YouTube videos on VATS segmentectomy are educationally inadequate and highlight the need for peer-reviewed, curated repositories to ensure reliable and high-quality training materials for thoracic surgical education.