Comparison of postoperative immune function in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or conventional open esophagectomy

•We compare postoperative immune function between VATS and conventional surgery.•Immune parameters were compared in same group or two groups at different time.•VATS experience less postoperative immune suppression than conventional surgery.•VATS recover preoperative immune function more quickly than conventional surgery.

AimThe aim of the study was to compare postoperative immune function in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer (EC) after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or conventional open esophagectomy.Patients and methodsMedical records were retrospectively analyzed for 228 patients with thoracic EC treated at a single hospital using VATS (n = 52) or conventional open esophagectomy (n = 176). Proportions of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and natural kill (NK) cells, as well as the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ cells, were measured in the two groups using flow cytometry on preoperative day (PrD) 1 and postoperative days (PoD) 1 and 7.ResultsProportions of CD3+, CD4+, and NK cells as well as the CD4+/CD8+ ratio decreased significantly from PrD1 to PoD1 in both the VATS and open esophagectomy groups. In the VATS group, these parameters had returned to preoperative levels (PrD1) by PoD7. These parameters in open esophagectomy group increased from PoD1 to PoD7 but also lowered significantly to PrD1 by PoD7. The proportion of CD8+ cells was similar between the two groups at all time points tested.ConclusionPatients may experience less postoperative immune suppression after VATS than after conventional open esophagectomy, and they may recover preoperative immune function more quickly.