Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) provides a new approach for treating early-stage lung cancer. Lobectomy by VATS has many advantages over conventional thoracotomy, such as shorter recovery time, less postoperative pain, and faster resumption of a normal lifestyle. However, there is still much debate on the role of VATS in lobectomy for the treatment of lung cancer. Conces regarding safety, the extent of mediastinal lymph node dissection, and long-term survival have made some surgeons apprehensive of its validity for lung cancer. In this paper, we review the development of thoracoscopy, the present status of VATS for early stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and comparison between VATS and open thoracotomy in the management of NSCLC.