Transcervical videoscopic esophageal dissection in minimally invasive esophagectomy

Background  

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) may involve video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for mediastinal esophageal dissection. Usually, VATS requires single-lung ventilation and has associated cardiopulmonary morbidity [1–3]. Alternatively, transhiatal dissection can be performed, although its complications include vocal cord palsy [4], cardiac arrythmias [5], and increased bleeding [5, 6], the latter associated with mortality after esophagectomy [2]. Therefore, the feasibility of MIE using transcervical videoscopic esophageal dissection (TVED) in swine was investigated. A simultaneous laparoscopic and TVED approach may decrease operative time and blood loss while improving visualization and avoiding single-lung ventilation.     

Transcervical videoscopic esophageal dissection during two-field minimally invasive esophagectomy: early patient experience

Background  

Transhiatal (two-field) esophagectomy reduces cardiopulmonary complications by avoiding thoracic access, but requires blind mediastinal dissection. The authors developed a minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) technique applying single-incision laparoscopy technology to better visualize the thoracic esophageal dissection. This is performed using laparoscopy and simultaneous transcervical videoscopic esophageal dissection (TVED). Our aim is to demonstrate feasibility of two-field MIE with TVED and improve recovery in high-risk patients.     

Minimally invasive esophageal resection

Esophagus resection is the adequate treatment for some benign esophageal diseases, especially caustic and peptic stenosis and end-stage motility dysfunction. However, the most frequent indications for esophageal resection are the high-grade dysplasia of Barrett esophagus and nonmetastasized esophageal cancer. Different procedures have been developed to perform esophageal resection given the 5-year survival rate among operated patients of only 18%. The disadvantage of the conventional approach is the high morbidity rate, especially with pulmonary complications. Minimally invasive esophageal resections, which were first performed in 1991, may reduce this important morbidity and preserve the oncologic outcome. The first reports of morbidity and respiratory complications with this approach were discouraging and it seemed likely that the procedure would have to be abandoned. However, in the last 5 years, an important impetus for these techniques was given by Japanese groups and the group of Luketich in Pittsburgh. The outcomes of these new series are different than those of the beginning period, leading to an enormous expansion worldwide. Important factors for this change are the standardization of the operative technique, the experience of many surgeons with more advanced laparoscopic procedures, important improvements in instruments for dissection and division of tissues, a better anesthesia technique, and a better selection of patients for operation. Two minimally invasive techniques are being perfected: the three-stage operation by right thoracoscopy and laparoscopy, and the transhiatal laparoscopic approach. It seems that the first approach may be applied successfully for any tumor in the esophagus, whereas the transhiatal seems ideal for distal esophageal and esophagogastric junction tumors. This review paper discusses all these aspects, with special attention for indications and operative technique.     

以分期为基础的食管癌微创治疗

随着食管癌分期手段及内镜、腔镜设备的不断发展，更准确的治疗前分期及更成熟的外科微创技术．为以分期为基础的食管癌微创治疗提供了可靠的保障。对不同分期的食管癌患者应当采用不同的微创治疗手段．在保证治疗效果的前提下．进一步减少创伤．加快患者康复．提高患者生活质量。     

微创食管癌根治术与传统根治术治疗合并COPD的食管癌患者术后肺功能比较

目的比较微创食管癌根治术与传统根治术治疗食管癌合并慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)术后肺功能的影响。 方法选择2017年2月至2019年2月期间接受临床治疗的138例食管癌合并COPD患者进行临床研究,通过随机数表法将患者分为传统组(n＝69)和微创组(n＝69),传统组患者给予传统根治术治疗,微创组患者给予微创食管癌根治术治疗。采用SPSS20.0统计软件进行分析。各项肺功能指标和手术情况等采用( ±s)的方式来表示,采用独立样本t检验;术后并发症发生率采用χ²检验;呼吸困难指数(MRC)分级采用秩和检验;P<0.05差异有统计学意义。 结果与传统组相比,微创组MRC轻度患者比例明显提高,重度患者比例明显下降(P<0.05);微创组的肺弥散容量(DLco/SB)和每单位肺容积时的肺弥散量(DLco/VA)指标均明显升高,两组的用力肺活量(FVC)和第1秒用力呼气容积占用力肺活量比值(FEV1/FVC)等指标差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。与传统组比,微创组的手术时间、手术出血量、术后引流时间和术后住院时间均明显下降(P<0.05),肺部并发症发生率明显下降(χ²＝10.817, P＝0.001),两组的手术清扫淋巴结数差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。 结论微创食管癌根治术治疗食管癌合并COPD患者,可明显改善食管癌合并COPD患者的肺功能,同时其手术情况以及术后肺部并发症的发生情况均得到明显改善。     

Successful minimally invasive repair of spontaneous esophageal perforation

Esophageal perforations with a mediastinal abscess are medical emergencies with a significant mortality rate. Prompt management is mandatory, and a variety of treatment strategies have been advocated. In the case of a spontaneous rupture of the esophagus (the so-called Boerhaave's syndrome), the treatment of choice involves the surgical repair of the esophageal defect, usually accomplished through a laparotomy or thoracotomy. In this paper, we present a case of an elderly patient with severe comorbidities, in which a minimally invasive approach was attempted and a complete repair was successfully accomplished.     

食管平滑肌瘤的微创手术治疗

目的探讨微创手术在食管平滑肌瘤治疗中的临床应用价值. 方法回顾性分析1996年9月～2002年10月26例食管平滑肌瘤采用微创手术治疗的临床资料. 结果电视胸腔镜食管平滑肌瘤摘除术23例,其中3例(2例胸膜腔紧密粘连,1例肿瘤无法定位)中转开胸(胸腔镜辅助小切口);经颈部食管平滑肌瘤摘除术2例;经食管镜食管平滑肌瘤切除1例.26例手术顺利,术后恢复平稳,无手术死亡及严重并发症,术后病理诊断均为平滑肌瘤.随访2～73个月,平均32.3个月,无复发. 结论电视胸腔镜肌瘤摘除术可作为食管固有肌层平滑肌瘤的首选治疗方法,对于食管粘膜肌层的平滑肌瘤,可考虑经食管镜切除.     

微创食管切除术治疗食管癌的研究进展

食管癌是全世界8大常见恶性肿瘤之一,外科手术仍为最主要的治疗方案。传统开放食管切除术术后并发症发生率高,患者生活质量较差。为减少手术并发症、提高患者的生活质量,微创食管切除术逐渐被胸外科医师接受并应用于食管癌的治疗当中。目前,多数研究认为微创食管切除术是安全、可行的,同时术后并发症发生率等短期效果优于开放食管切除术,而总生存率等远期效果并不低于开放食管切除术。随着研究的不断细化深入,食管癌的精准微创治疗将得到进一步的发展和推广。     

Minimally invasive resection for esophageal cancer

MIE is technically demanding with a steep learning curve. Operative times decrease from 7 to 8 hours to 4.5 to 5 hours after the surgeons and assistants in the authors' center had performed 20 operations. In the authors' experience the operation was performed safely in the context of the authors' extensive experience with open esophageal surgery and advanced minimally invasive procedures. In the authors' first 77 cases, the 30-day operative mortality was zero, with a median hospital stay of 7 days, which compares favorably to many open series. Prospective studies will be required to determine whether postoperative pain, recovery time, and cost are improved. The optimal surgical approach for each patient should be decided based on surgical experience, tumor characteristics, and patient preference. A multi-institutional prospective trial is planned to evaluate the clinical and oncologic results of MIE for cancer compared with traditional open surgery.     

Mediastinal lymphnode dissection procedure during esophageal cancer operation--carefully considered for preserving respiratory function

In 22 patients with esophageal cancer, mediastinal lymphnode dissection procedure, with preservation of the right bronchial artery and pulmonary branches of the right vagus nerve, was performed during radical esophagectomy. In patients who underwent this procedure, respiratory function was sufficiently maintained against severe complications and the operative and hospital death rate was less than that of other esophagectomized patients.     

Current status of minimally invasive esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer

Technical advancements and development of endoscopic equipment in thoracoscopic surgery have resulted in increase in the popularity of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). However, advantages with regard to short-term outcome and oncological feasibility of MIE have not been adequately established. To date, a number of single-institution studies and several meta-analyses have demonstrated acceptable short-term outcomes of thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and the outcomes are comparable to those of conventional open esophagectomy (OE). A study group recently reported the results of the first multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared MIE and OE. The incidence of pulmonary infection after surgery was markedly lower in the MIE group than in the OE group. Additional benefits of MIE included less operative blood loss, better postoperative patients’ quality of life, and shorter hospital stay. However, the oncological benefit to patients undergoing MIE has not been scientifically proven because there have been no RCTs to verify the equivalency in long-term survival of patients undergoing MIE compared with that of patients undergoing OE. If future prospective studies indicate oncological benefits, MIE could truly become the standard care for patients with esophageal cancer.     

胸腹腔镜联合食管癌切除及淋巴结清扫术视频要点

1技术背景介绍食管癌位于我国恶性肿瘤发病率第5位及死亡率第4位,每年大约有10万新增病例,占全球50%以上。食管癌病因复杂,发病隐匿,目前公认的治疗方案是以手术为主、放化疗为辅的综合治疗。而传统开胸手术治疗创伤大,并发症多,恢复时间长,预后较差。经过多年的不断探索与发展以及腔镜技术的日益成熟,以三野清扫为目的的胸腹腔镜联合食管癌切除已成为一种趋势,其在切除范围、淋巴结清扫程度、切口疼痛程度、快速康复以及预后等方面较传统术式有明显优势,同时并发症发生率并未增加[1]。本视频旨在展示胸腹腔镜食管癌切除术的手术入路、操作要点及术后情况。     

Prone thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization for minimally invasive esophagectomy

Background Minimally invasive esophagectomy is a complex surgical procedure. We recently began performing thoracic mobilization of the esophagus with the patient in the prone position, not the left lateral decubitus position, in the hope of minimizing the number of technical challenges. Methods Six consecutive minimally invasive esophagectomies were performed using prone thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization with creation of cervical anastamosis. Our esophagectomy database was evaluated for outcomes, including operative time, estimated blood loss, complications, and length of hospital stay. Results We were successful in our first six attempts, with a mean blood loss of 61 cc. Mean operative time for thoracoscopy was 80 min. Operative times were steady over the first six prone cases at 105, 85, 70, 55, 80, and 85 min. Three of the six patients had no complications. Median postoperative length of hospital stay was 11.5 days, and there were no deaths. Conclusions This technical report and case series demonstrates that prone thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization appears to be a reasonable alternative to the same procedure performed with the patient in the decubitus position. We find the technique to simplify portions of an otherwise difficult surgical procedure. Further evaluation with larger number of patients should be performed.     

Evolution of the minimally invasive treatment of esophageal achalasia

Thanks to the advent of laparoscopic techniques, the last decade and a half have witnessed a radical change in the treatment of esophageal achalasia. Because of the high success rate of the laparoscopic Heller myotomy, surgery has now become in many centers the first modality of treatment for achalasia. This shift in the treatment algorithm reflects the fact that laparoscopic Heller myotomy with partial fundoplication outperforms nonsurgical approaches, such as balloon dilatation and intrasphincteric botulinum toxin injection.     

腔镜食管癌根治术在食管癌治疗中的临床应用

目的探讨腔镜食管癌根治术的安全性及可行性。方法回顾性分析2008年6月至2012年4月福建省肿瘤医院298例行腔镜辅助食管癌根治术患者的临床资料。结果297例在腔镜辅助下成功完成手术,1例中转开腹。手术用时（242．3±58．7）min,术后住院时间（17．4±9．8）d。淋巴结清扫总数（27．5±12．2）枚／例,其中纵隔、腹腔及颈部淋巴结清扫数目分别为（10．7±5．7）、（13．3±7．8）及（7．7±8．1）枚／例。89例（29．9％）出现手术相关并发症,其中肺部感染41例,术后声嘶25例,吻合口瘘9例,切口感染7例,其他7例。术后经2～47个月的随访,3例患者出现吻合口狭窄,其余进食及生活质量良好。结论腔镜辅助胸食管癌根治术是安全、微创、有效的手术方法。     

Evaluation of minimally invasive surgical staging for esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND: Conventional imaging studies (computed tomography and endoscopic esophageal ultrasonography) used for preoperative evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer can be inaccurate for detection of small metastatic deposits. We evaluated the efficacy of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) staging as an additional modality for evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: Between December 1998 and February 2001, 33 patients with esophageal cancer were evaluated for surgical resection. Conventional imaging studies demonstrated operable disease in 31 patients and equivocal findings in 2 patients. All patients then underwent MIS staging (laparoscopy, bronchoscopy, and ultrasonography of the liver). We compared the results from surgical resection and MIS staging with those from conventional imaging. RESULTS: MIS staging altered the treatment plan in 12 (36%) of 33 patients; MIS staging upstaged 10 patients with operable disease and downstaged 2 patients with equivocal findings. MIS staging accurately determined resectability in 97% of patients compared with 61% of patients staged by conventional imaging. The specificity and negative predictive value for detection of unsuspected metastatic disease in MIS staging were 100% and 96%, respectively, compared with 91% and 65%, respectively, for conventional imaging studies. CONCLUSION: In addition to conventional imaging studies, MIS staging should be included routinely in the preoperative work-up of patients with esophageal cancer.     

Use of minimally invasive surgery in staging esophageal cancer

Noninvasive staging of esophageal cancer (EC) is often inaccurate, and this fact has compromised clinical trials of treatment for EC. Prognostic evaluation might allocate chemotherapy and radiation more appropriately. Thoracoscopy and laparoscopy has recently shown promising results, and molecular analysis of the recovered tissue may further improve staging accuracy.