Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5991697 | The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery | 2012 | 4 Pages |
The adoption of minimally invasive esophagectomy has increased worldwide since its first description more than 15 years ago. The technique has evolved from a transhiatal to a 3-hole McKeowan approach and, more recently, to a minimally invasive Ivor Lewis approach. We reviewed the technique and results of 3-hole minimally invasive esophagectomy. We favor thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization with the patient in a lateral decubitus position, although other groups have reported this with a prone or robotic approach. Several series have demonstrated low perioperative mortality with minimally invasive esophagectomy. A major advantage compared with esophagectomy with thoracotomy is a lower incidence of respiratory complications, which have been shown to be a significant predictor of mortality in other studies.