Video-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Video-assisted surgery for esophageal cancer is an advanced surgical technique. It has been developed on the basis of the concept of minimally invasive surgery. Given that there are several options regarding the operative procedures for thoracic esophageal cancer, several laparoscopic approaches have been proposed. The first video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy through a right thoracoscopic approach and the first transhiatal esophagectomy were reported in the early 1990s. A mediastinoscope-assisted esophagectomy has also been reported as a substitute for a blunt dissection of the esophagus. Moreover, a video-assisted Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy by right thoracotomy with intrathoracic anastomosis has also been performed. Furthermore, laparoscopic gastric mobilization and gastroplasty are also widely accepted substitutions for open laparotomy. This article reviews the literature on the laparoscopic approaches for esophageal cancer.     

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in children

Minimal access surgery is an alternative to open surgery in esophageal resections. Thoracoscopic surgery has been utilized for both benign and malignant esophageal lesions and is a complex and challenging surgical procedure that can provide some benefits in comparison with open thoracotomy. Many studies have described laparoscopic or thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy in adults. So far, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study about thoracoscopic esophagectomy in children. This report describes 2 pediatric cases of benign esophageal lesions: one stricture after accidental ingestion of caustic soda and one esophageal stenosis after thyroglossal duct complication. Both patients were submitted to thoracoscopic esophagectomy combined with laparotomy and open cervical exploration with success. This procedure presents some potential advantages when compared with open esophagectomy: shorter hospital stay, precise dissection of mediastinal structures, less postoperative pain, less blood loss during surgery and less long-term discomfort. In our cases, thoracoscopic surgery for children showed the same benefits as in adults. Although very feasible, it should not be attempted without sufficient training and should be carried out only in specialized medical centers and by surgeons with adequate experience with open esophagectomy.     

Thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy and laparoscopic gastric pull-up for lye injury.

BACKGROUND: Acquired esophageal strictures in children are often the result of ingestion of caustic agents. We describe 2 children with severe esophageal strictures following lye ingestion, who successfully underwent esophagectomy and gastric pull-up utilizing combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic techniques. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart analysis of both patients. CASE 1: A 17-year-old female, who ingested a lye-containing substance, which lead to the need for gastrostomy and esophageal dilatations, developed an esophageal stricture. Thoracoscopic esophagectomy, laparoscopic gastric conduit creation, pyloroplasty, gastric pull-up, and esophagogastric anastomosis was performed one year later. She was tolerating a regular diet for almost 4 years following esophageal replacement when she developed a gastric ulcer with gastrobronchial fistula that required open repair via a right thoracotomy. She has since recovered and resumed her regular diet. CASE 2: A 13-month-old female who ingested a lye-based cleaner underwent tracheostomy and gastrostomy on the day of injury, and esophageal dilatations beginning 1 month later. Despite dilatations, she developed severe strictures for which at age 21 months she underwent thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization, laparoscopic creation of gastric conduit, pyloroplasty, and esophagogastric anastomosis. A right thoracotomy was necessary to negotiate the conduit safely up to the neck. She is tolerating feeds and has not developed any complications for nearly 3 years following esophageal replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Esophagectomy and gastric pull-up for esophageal lye injuries can be accomplished utilizing a combination of thoracoscopy and laparoscopy with excellent results. Long-term follow-up is necessary to manage potential complications in these patients.     

Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for benign and malignant disease: lessons learned from 46 consecutive procedures

BACKGROUND: Transhiatal and transthoracic esophagectomy are common approaches for esophageal resection. The literature is limited regarding the combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach to esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for the treatment of benign and malignant esophageal disease. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective chart review of 46 consecutive minimally invasive esophagectomies performed between August 1998 and September 2002. Indications for esophagectomy were carcinoma (n = 38), Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia (n = 3), and recalcitrant stricture (n = 5). Of 38 patients with carcinoma 23 (61%) had neoadjuvant therapy. The main outcome measures were operative time, blood loss, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, conversion rate, morbidity, mortality, pathology, disease recurrence, and survival. RESULTS: Approaches to esophagectomy were thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy (n = 41), thoracoscopic and laparoscopic Ivor Lewis resection (n = 3), abdominal only laparoscopic esophagogastrectomy (n = 1), and hand-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (n = 1). Minimally invasive esophagectomy was successfully completed in 45 (97.8%) of 46 patients. The mean operative time was 350 +/- 75 minutes and the mean blood loss was 279 +/- 184 mL. The median length of intensive care unit stay was 2 days and median length of stay was 8 days. Major complications occurred in 17.4% of patients and minor complications occurred in 10.8%. Late complications were seen in 26.1% of patients. The overall mortality was 4.3%. Among the 38 patients who underwent esophagectomy for cancer the 3-year survival was 57%. In a mean followup of 26 months there was no trocar site or neck wound recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: A thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach to esophagectomy is technically feasible and safe for the treatment of benign and malignant esophageal disease. With a mean followup of 26 months thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy appears to be an oncologically acceptable surgical approach for the treatment of esophageal cancer.     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: an updated review

Purpose

The surgical, postoperative and oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer were reviewed to clarify the benefits of this surgical modality.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using synonyms for minimally invasive or thoracoscopic esophagectomy. There were 18 retrospective cohort studies and 3 meta-analyses retrieved in this review.

Results

There are several minimally invasive approaches for esophageal cancer. Total MIE using both the thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach is increasingly performed. A longer operative time and less blood loss are observed with MIE in comparison to open esophagectomy (OE). Although the benefit of MIE for reducing morbidity and mortality rates is still under debate, a shorter hospital stay was common among the studies. The oncologic outcomes of MIE were not inferior to OE, while the number of retrieved lymph nodes was greater in MIE than OE in several studies.

Conclusion

Total MIE using a combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach can be performed safely, although the benefits for short-term outcomes are still controversial. Oncologic outcomes are favorable and MIE may have an advantage in lymph node dissection over OE. The benefits of MIE should therefore be confirmed by randomized controlled trials.     

微创食管切除术的研究进展

传统的开胸食管切除术术后往往伴随着很高的病死率和并发症发生率.大量报道已经证实微创食管切除术术后并发症的发生率明显减低并取得了与传统食管切除术相当的存活率,它将是食管外科的必然发展趋势.本文将就微创食管切除术的最新进展作一综述.     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy: early experience and outcomes

Minimally invasive esophageal surgery has the potential to improve mortality, hospital stay, and functional outcomes when compared with open methods. Although technically complex, combined laparoscopic and thoracoscopic esophageal resection is feasible. A case series of 20 patients who underwent minimally invasive total esophagectomy is presented. This study was a review of a prospective database. The purpose was to evaluate early results with laparoscopic total esophagectomy for benign and malignant disease. Between January 2003 and November 2005, 20 patients underwent minimally invasive esophageal surgery. All operations were performed by the same two surgeons. Age, gender, indications for surgery, pathologic stage, operative time, blood loss, transfusion requirements, intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, postoperative complications, and mortality were recorded. Diet progression, dysphagia, and need for stricture management were also recorded. Of the 20 minimally invasive total esophagectomies performed, 18 (90%) were completed successfully. The average age of the patients was 53 years. Indications for surgery were malignancy (n = 13), carcinoma in situ in the setting of Barrett's esophagus (n = 2), and benign stricture (n = 3). The average operating time was 467 minutes (range 346-580 min). Median blood loss was 350 mL (range 150-500 mL). The median intensive care unit stay was 2 days, and the median hospital length of stay was 12 days. Pathology revealed that 7 per cent of patients had stage I disease, 27 per cent of patients had stage II disease, and 53 per cent of patients had stage III disease. There was a single mortality (5%), a cervical leak in two patients (10%), a gastric tip necrosis in one patient (5%), and tracheoesophageal fistula in one patient (5%). Major complications occurred in eight patients (40%) and minor complications in nine (50%). Thirteen (72%) patients were discharged on enteral tube feeds to supplement caloric intake. The application of minimally invasive techniques in the arena of esophageal surgery continues to evolve. This approach has the potential to improve mortality, hospital stay, and other outcomes when compared with open methods. Although technically complex, laparoscopic total esophagectomy is feasible.     

Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy: initial experience and outcomes

Background: Although surgical resection currently is the preferred treatment for fit patients with resectable esophageal cancers, it is associated with a relatively high risk of morbidity and significant perioperative mortality. Currently, a range of open surgical approaches are used. More recently, minimally invasive approaches have become feasible, with the potential to reduce perioperative morbidity. This study investigated the outcomes from one such approach. Methods: Outcome data were collected prospectively for 36 consecutive patients who underwent a minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. A three-stage approach was used, with all the patients undergoing a thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization, combined with either open or hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal gastric mobilization, and open cervical anastomosis. An open abdominal approach was used for 15 of the patients and a hand-assisted laparoscopic approach for 21. A total of 34 patients had invasive malignancy, whereas 2 had preinvasive disease. A group of 23 patients (68%) who had invasive malignancies also received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Results: The mean operating time ranged from 190 to 360 min (mean, 263 min). The median postoperative hospital stay was 16 days. In-hospital mortality was 5.5% (2/36), and perioperative morbidity was 41%. The perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing an open abdominal approach and those who had hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery were similar. For the patients who underwent a hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal procedure, the total operating time was shorter (248 vs 281 min), and the blood loss was less (223 vs 440 ml). The median follow-up period was 30 months. The 4-year survival predicted by Kaplan–Meir for the 34 patients with invasive malignancy was 44%. Conclusion: The outcome for esophagectomy using thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization, with or without hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal surgery, was comparable with data from conventional open surgical approaches. These approaches can be performed with an acceptable level of perioperative morbidity. Further application of these techniques, with close scrutiny of outcome data, is appropriate.     

机器人辅助微创食管切除术的技术要点分析

近年来，随着达芬奇机器人技术引入食管癌外科治疗，越来越多的食管外科医师了解和认识到该技术的优势，其安全性和有效性也逐渐得到认可。机器人技术可结合传统胸腹腔镜以及开放手术完成不同手术路径的操作，机器人技术的优势也可以得到充分发挥，有些在传统技术下难以快速安全完成的操作也得以改进。该文总结了现有文献报道机器人辅助微创食管切除术(RAMIE)的经验，分析各中心在手术路径、机器人辅助方式以及食管癌治疗技术上的特点。     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy in a previously pneumonectomized patient

Abstract Introduction: Surgical resection represents the only therapeutic action having a radical intent for the treatment of resectable esophageal neoplasms. Minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is being more and more frequently performed. Few cases of esophagectomy after pneumonectomy have been described in the literature, and, to our knowledge, none of them was performed by the minimally invasive technique. Subject and Methods: A 77-year-old woman, who had undergone left thoracotomic pneumonectomy due to squamous cell lung cancer 2 years before, underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy because of esophageal cancer at the authors' institution. The intervention was performed by right thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization with the patient in the prone position, followed by the laparoscopic and cervicotomic stages, with cervical anastomosis. Results: Total operative time was 230 minutes. Intensive care unit stay was 1 day, followed by a hospital stay of 13 days. We did not observe any major postoperative complication. Conclusions: Minimally invasive esophagectomy with thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization in the prone position is a valid option in the treatment of esophageal cancer and may be feasible in previously left pneumonectomized patients.     

Zero Leaks With Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: a Team-Based Approach

Introduction:

Minimally invasive surgery has been applied in several ways to esophagectomy. Newer techniques have improved patient outcomes while maintaining oncological principles; however, mortality still exists. Most series have reported mortality rates ranging from 2% to 25%. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of minimally invasive esophagectomies (MIE) in a non-university tertiary care center.

Methods:

MIE in the form of a combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic technique was performed cooperatively by 2 surgeons. Records of patients who underwent MIE between September 2005 and August 2008 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results:

Thirty-four patients underwent MIE over a 3-year period. There was a male predominance. Mean age at presentation was 62.6 years. Comorbidities were documented in 79% of the patients. Most patients (68%) presented with dysphagia. Two patients had end-stage achalasia, 1 had corrosive esophageal stricture, and 31 had esophageal malignancies. No mortalities were reported. No anastomotic leaks were observed. Eighteen (58%) patients with malignancy received preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Six (33%) patients had a pathological response (CR) on final histopathology. The mean operating time was 294 minutes. The mean blood loss was 302 mL.

Conclusions:

Minimally invasive esophagectomy can be performed with results that meet and exceed reported benchmarks. A team-based approach greatly impacts the outcome of the surgery. This surgical technique must be standardized to achieve this outcome.     

Totally laparoscopic transhiatal esophago-gastrectomy without thoracic or cervical access: The least invasive surgery for adenocarcinoma of the cardia?

Background The recent progress of minimally invasive surgery has allowed esophagectomy to be performed by both combined laparoscopic/thoracoscopic and totally laparoscopic transhiatal approaches. All these techniques imply a thoracic and/or cervical access for the creation of the esophagogastric anastomosis.Methods Five surgical ports are introduced in the abdomen. The stomach is mobilized, divided, and tubulized, preserving the right arteries. The lymphadenectomy of the celiac trunk and the hepatic pedicle is achieved. The dissection and resection of distal esophagus and a two-fields mediastinal lymphadenectomy are performed by means of harmonic scalpel. The realization of the intrathoracic esophago-gastrostomy is accomplished by means of a circular stapler.Results Three patients underwent the procedure. Mean operating time and blood loss were 347 min and 360 cc. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Mean postoperative stay was 9 days.Conclusion In selected cases, it is possible to perform a distal esophagectomy entirely by laparoscopy, without the need for any thoracic or cervical access.     

Changing trends in the minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture

Esophagogastric stricture is the troublesome long-term complication of corrosive ingestion with a significant adverse impact on the quality of life. Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy in patients where endoscopic treatment is not feasible or fails to dilate the stricture. Conventional surgical management of esophageal stricture is open esophageal bypass using gastric or colon conduit. Colon is the commonly used esophageal substitute, particularly in those with high pharyngoesophageal strictures and in patients with accompanying gastric strictures. Traditionally colon bypass is performed using an open technique that requires a long midline incision from the xiphisternum to the suprapubic area, with adverse cosmetic outcomes and long-term complications like an incisional hernia. As most of the affected patients are in the second or third decade of life minimally invasive approach is an attractive proposition. However, minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture is slow to evolve due to the complex nature of the surgical procedure. With advancements in laparoscopic skills and instrumentation, the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive surgery in corrosive esophagogastric stricture have been documented. Initial series have mainly used a laparoscopic-assisted approach, whereas more recent studies have shown the safety of a total laparoscopic approach. The changing trend from laparoscopic assisted procedure to a totally minimally invasive technique for corrosive esophagogastric stricture should be carefully disseminated to preclude adverse long-term outcomes. Also, well-designed trials with long-term follow-ups are required to document the superiority of minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture. The present review focuses on the challenges and changing trends in the minimally invasive treatment of corrosive esophagogastric stricture.     

Hand-Assisted Endoscopic Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

Radical esophagectomy is a highly invasive operation for esophageal cancer, and improved techniques are being sought to reduce the invasiveness of this procedure. We devised a method in which an assistant inserts their left hand into the thoracic cavity, and the operator inserts their left hand into the abdominal cavity through a small incision in the upper quadrant during an endoscopic procedure. Between 1996 and 1999, we performed endoscopic esophagectomy on 18 patients. The median number of mediastinal lymph nodes removed by thoracoscopic surgery was 20.1 ± 9.4 and the median number of abdominal lymph nodes removed by laparoscopic surgery was 11.1 ± 5.6. The number of nodes dissected by endoscopic surgery did not differ significantly from the number of nodes dissected by conventional thoracotomy with laparotomy. Our experience shows that endoscopic esophagectomy with reconstruction of the esophagus assisted by inserting the hand into the thoracic and abdominal cavity, for safety and certainty, is an effective technique that is much less invasive than radical esophagectomy performed by conventional thoracotomy with laparotomy. Received: January 21, 2002 / Accepted: July 2, 2002 Reprint requests to: S. Okushiba     

Minimally invasive transhiatal and transthoracic esophagectomy

Background Standard esophagectomy requires either a laparotomy with transhiatal removal of the esophagus or a combination of laparotomy and thoracotomy. Currently, it still is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Complications leading to greater morbidity and mortality are rarely seen after minimally invasive surgery. The authors present their experience with 25 minimally invasive esophageal resections. Methods Between August 1st, 2003 and November 30th, 2005, the authors performed 25 minimally invasive esophageal resections for 4 woman and 21 men. Data were acquired prospectively. Results In this series, a laparoscopic transhiatal approach was performed in 9 cases, a combined laparoscopic-thoracoscopic procedure in 12 cases, and laparoscopic creation of a gastric tube combined with thoracotomy in 4 cases. No conversion became necessary. The mean operation time was 165 min (range, 150–180 min) for the laparoscopic transhiatal approach and 300 min (range, 240–360 min) for both combination approaches. Using the combined laparoscopic-thoracoscopic procedure, 23 lymph nodes (range, 19–26 lymph nodes) were removed, and using the laparoscopic transhiatal approach, 14 lymph nodes (range, 12–17 lymph nodes) were removed. The median stay in the intensive care unit was 1.5 days (range, 1–22 days), and the overall postoperative stay was 10 days (range, 7–153 days). Two intraoperative complications and two cervical anastomotic leakages were observed. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that laparoscopic transhiatal and combined laparoscopic/thoracoscopic esophagectomy are feasible and can be performed with low rates of morbidity and mortality. Due to an equal extent of lymph node dissection, there should be no difference in long-term survival between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery.     

微创McKeown食管切除术治疗食管下段癌的临床价值

目的探讨微创McKeown食管切除术治疗下段食管癌的临床价值。方法选取2013-01-2017-06间在郑州大学第一附属医院接受食管切除术的下段食管癌患者。将行微创McKeown手术的患者作为微创组,将行开放Sweet手术的患者作为开放组,倾向得分匹配(PSM)用于降低2组一般资料的统计学差异。比较2组患者的疗效。结果全部患者均顺利完成手术。2组患者的病死率、肺部并发症和吻合口漏发生率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。微创组淋巴结清扫数、平均住院费用和手术时间均多于开放组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论微创McKeown食管切除术治疗下段食管癌,较传统开放手术淋巴结清扫数多,但手术时间和治疗费用较多。     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy is safe in patients with previous gastric bypass

BackgroundThe prevalence of morbid obesity in the United States has been steadily increasing, and there is an established relationship between obesity and the risk of developing certain cancers. Patients who have undergone prior gastric bypass (GB) and present with newly diagnosed esophageal cancer represent a new and challenging cohort for surgical resection of their disease. We present our case series of consecutive patients with previous GB who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE).MethodsRetrospective review of consecutive patients with a history of GB who underwent a MIE for esophageal cancer between July 2010 and August 2012.ResultsFive patients were identified with a mean age of 57 years. Mean follow-up was 9.1 months. Four patients had undergone laparoscopic GB, and 1 patient had an open GB. Two patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced disease. Minimally invasive procedures were thoracoscopic/laparoscopic esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis in 4 patients and colonic interposition in 1 patient. Mean operative time was 6 hours and 52 minutes. Median length of stay was 7 days. There was no mortality. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients and included pneumonia/respiratory failure, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and pyloric stenosis. All patients are alive and disease free at last follow-up.ConclusionsMinimally invasive esophagectomy after prior GB is well tolerated, is technically feasible, and has acceptable oncologic and perioperative outcomes. We conclude that precise endoscopic evaluation before bariatric surgery in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease is essential, as is the necessity for continuing postsurgical surveillance in patients with known Barrett’s esophagitis and for early evaluation in patients who develop new symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease after bariatric surgery.     

管状胃在微创食管外科中的应用

目的总结管状胃在微创食管外科术中应用的经验,以评价其可行性和手术安全性。方法2004年6月至2009年8月共有102例食管癌患者行微创食管切除管状胃消化道重建术,其中男71例,女31例;年龄37～79岁,平均年龄61.1岁。行胸腔镜+开腹三切口食管切除术62例,胸腔镜+腹腔镜食管切除术35例,开胸+腹腔镜两切口食管切除术5例。58例采用食管床径路,44例采用胸骨后径路。结果全组患者均顺利完成手术,围手术期病死率为2.0%(2/102),并发症发生率为41.2%(42/102),包括吻合口瘘、吻合口狭窄、肺部感染等。管状胃通过胸骨后径路上提至颈部的患者并发症发生率高于经食管床径路患者(56.8%vs.29.3%,P0.05),吻合口瘘发生率亦高于经食管床径路患者(34.1%vs.6.9%,P0.05),两种不同管状胃上提径路患者在吻合口狭窄、胃残端瘘、胃排空障碍、心肺并发症、乳糜胸以及喉返神经损伤等方面差异均无统计学意义。结论管状胃是微创食管切除后有效的消化道重建方式,应根据患者的具体情况个体化选择管状胃上提的径路。     

Experience with minimally invasive esophagectomy

Background Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is an evolving surgical alternative to traditional open esophagectomy. Despite considerable technical challenges, it was hypothesized that MIE could be performed effectively by surgeons experienced in open esophageal resection and advanced laparoscopic surgery. The authors report their experience with 25 patients who underwent MIE for esophageal disease. Methods A multidisciplinary esophageal cancer team evaluated all the patients enrolled in this institutional review board–approved retrospective review study. Over an 18-month period, 25 consecutive patients (22 men and 3 women; mean age, 62 years; range, 48–77 years) with resectable esophageal cancer underwent MIE. Six patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The preoperative diagnoses were adenocarcinoma (64%, n = 16), high-grade dysplasia (20%, n = 5), and squamous cell cancer (16%, n = 4). The outcomes evaluated included operative course, hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay, pathologic stage, morbidity, and mortality. Results Two patients required conversion to open esophagectomy. Operative mortality was 4% (n = 1). The mean operative time was 350 min (range, 300–480), and the average blood loss was 200 ml. The patients remained ventilated for a median of 12 h, and the median intensive care unit utilization was 1 day. The median hospital length of stay was 9 days (range, 6–33 days). Major complications occurred in 32% of the patients. The anastomotic leak rate was 12%. Minor pulmonary complications occurred in 32% and atrial fibrillation in 16% of the patients. An anastomotic stricture developed in 24% of all the patients. One patient showed a positive proximal margin in the final pathology results. Conclusions Minimally invasive esophagectomy is a technically challenging procedure that can be performed safely at the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute. Optimal results require appropriate patient selection and a multidisciplinary team experienced in the management of esophageal cancer.     

Minimally invasive esophagectomy: the evolution and technique of minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer

Beginning with the widespread introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in late 1989, minimally invasive surgical technique has been refined in conjunction with the development of advanced instrumentation and have subsequently been applied to increasingly complicated disease processes. Esophageal surgeons have increasingly incorporated minimally invasive surgery into their practice since the first laparoscopic fundoplication was described by Dallemagne et al. in 1991. Esophagectomy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality even in highly experienced centers. Many esophageal surgeons have had a great deal of interest in minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE), which has the potential advantages of being a less traumatic procedure with a resultant improvement in postoperative convalescence and fewer wound and cardiopulmonary complications compared to the open approaches. Throughout the 1990s, as confidence with laparoscopic surgery of the esophagogastric junction grew, MIE was initially attempted with hybrid operations combining traditional open surgery with minimally invasive approaches. Subsequently, a totally laparoscopic transhiatal approach was described; however, this approach was perceived to be very challenging and has not gained widespread acceptance. Approaches used at present depend on cancer stage, cancer location, body habitus, and pulmonary function. For localized cancer (T1N0) or HGD, we prefer laparoscopic inversion esophagectomy (retrograde or antigrade). This approach may also be used for patients at high risk for thoracotomy. For locally advanced cancer in the middle third of the esophagus or for proximal third esophageal cancer, we prefer 3-field MIE (abdomen, and chest with neck anastomosis). For locally advanced cancer in the distal esophagus, especially in patients with a short thick neck, we prefer thoracoscopic-laparoscopic (2-field) esophagectomy (TLE).