The Learning Curve for Robotic McKeown Esophagectomy in Patients With Esophageal Cancer

For a surgeon experienced in open and thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy, experience of 26 cases is required to gain early proficiency of robot-assisted McKeown esophagectomy. A learning curve for robot-assisted esophagus dissection would require operations on 26 patients and stomach mobilization would require operations on 14 patients. For the tableside assistant, experience of at least nine cases is needed to achieve an optimal technical level for thoracic docking and 16 cases for abdominal docking.