Robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy: first clinical experiences and review of the literature.

Pulmonary complications, and especially pneumonia, remain one of the most common complications after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. These complications are reduced by minimally invasive techniques or by avoiding thoracic access through a transhiatal approach. However, a transhiatal approach does not allow for a full mediastinal lymphadenectomy.

Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy with Intrathoracic Anastomosis (Ivor Lewis): Promising Results in 100 Consecutive Patients (the European Experience).

Background: Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) with intrathoracic anastomosis is gaining popularity as a treatment for esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to describe postoperative complications and short-term oncologic outcomes for RAMIE procedures using the da Vinci Xi robotic system 4-arm technique.

Methods: Data of 100 consecutive patients with esophageal or gastro-esophageal junction carcinoma undergoing modified Ivor Lewis esophagectomy were prospectively collected.

C-reactive Protein Levels After Esophagectomy Are Associated With Increased Surgical Trauma and Complications.

Background: With the introduction of minimally invasive esophagectomy, postoperative complications rates have decreased. Daily laboratory tests are used to screen patients for postoperative complications. The course of inflammatory indicators after esophagectomy after different surgical approaches has not been described yet.

Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was introduced in the 1990s with the aim to decrease the rate of respiratory complications associated with thoracotomy, along with the benefits of reduced morbidity and a quicker return to normal activities provided by minimally invasive techniques. However, MIE is not routinely applied as a standard approach for esophageal cancer worldwide, due to the high technical complexity of this minimally invasive procedure. Therefore, the open transthoracic esophagectomy is considered to be the gold standard for resectable esophageal cancer worldwide nowadays.

Robot assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) for esophageal cancer.

Worldwide, the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer with curative intent is perioperative chemotherapy or preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by open transthoracic esophagectomy (OTE) with gastric conduit reconstruction. Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was developed to improve the postoperative outcome by reducing the surgical trauma, with comparable short-term oncologic results. However, MIE is a highly complex procedure associated with a long learning curve.