ABSTRACT
@#Objective To present the initial clinical experience of robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer and to analyze the short-term outcomes of these patients. Methods Between February 2016 and December 2017, 148 patients with esophageal carcinoma underwent robotic esophagectomy and two-fields lymph node dissection. There were 126 males and 22 females at average age of 62.0±8.0 years. Demographic data, intraoperative characteristics and short-term surgical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results 106 patients underwent McKeown esophagectomy and 42 patients underwent Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. The mean operation time was 336.0±76.0 min, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 130.0±89.0 ml, the mean number of lymph nodes removed was 21.0±8.0 and the mean length of postoperative hospital-stay was 12.0±7.2 days. Postoperative complications included anastomotic fistula (n=8, 5.4%), pulmonary infection (n=13, 8.7%), hoarseness (n=23, 15.5%), tracheoesophageal fistula (n=1, 0.7%), chylothorax (n=4, 2.7%) and incision infection (n=2, 1.4%). There was no intra-operational massive hemorrhage or in-hospital mortality. Conclusion Both robot-assisted McKeown and Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy are safe and feasible with good early outcomes.
ABSTRACT
@#In this review, development and application of the minimally invasive esophagectomy(MIE) for esophageal cancer are discussed including the types of MIE procedures, short- and long- term outcome after MIE; as well the future of MIE is forecasted. Main procedures of MIE performed currently include esophagectomy via thoracoscopy and laparoscopy and cervical esophagogastrosty, Ivor-Lewis MIE via thoracoscopy and laparoscopy, and hiatal MIE. Ivor-Lewis MIE gradually becomes a standard surgical option for the cancer of distal esophagus or esophagogastric junction while the solution of intrathoracic anastomosis via thoracoscopy has achieved. Several methods of intrathoracic anastomosis are reported such as hand-sewn, circular stapler, side-to-side and triangular anastomosis. MIE could decrease operative blood loss, shorten hospital stay and ICU stay, reduce postoperative especially pulmonary complications, and harvest more lymph nodes compared to open esophagectomy. The long-term survival has been proved similar with that after open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. MIE has developed rapidly in recent years with some aspects in future prospectively: individual MIE treatment and quality of life, fast track after surgery, and robot-assisted MIE, as well the endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal cancer is mentioned.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To investigate the short-term postoperative pain between robot-assisted and thoracolaparoscopic McKeown esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma. Methods We prospectively analyzed clinical data of 77 patients with esophageal carcinoma in our hospital between September 2016 and February 2017. The patients were allocated into two groups including a robot group and a thoracolaparoscopic group. The patients underwent robot assisted McKeown esophagectomy in the robot group and thoracolaparoscopic McKeown esophagectomy in the thoracolaparoscopic group. There were 38 patients with 30 males and 8 females at average age of 60.80±6.20 years in the thoracolaparoscopic group, and 39 patients with 35 males and 4 females at average age of 60.90±7.20 years in the robot group. Results There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the postoperative usage of analgesic drugs. The patients in the robot group experienced less postoperative pain on postoperative day 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 than the patients in the thoracolaparoscopic group. The mean value of visual analogue scale (VAS) on postoperative day 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 for the robot group and the thoracolaparoscopic group was 3.20±1.10 versus 2.70±0.90 (P=0.002), 2.75±0.96 versus 2.40±0.98 (P=0.030), 2.68±1.08 versus 2.02±0.8 (P=0.005); 2.49±0.99 versus 1.81±0.88 (P=0.003), 2.27±0.83 versus 1.51±0.61 (P<0.001), respectively. Conclusion Compared with the thoracolaparoscopic group, patients receiving robot assisted McKeown esophagectomy experience less postoperative short-term pain. However, the long-term postoperative pain for these patients needs to be further studied.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients treated with esophagectomy following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early stage esophageal cancer or precancerosis and the reasons for esophagectomy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 57 patients who were treated with esophagectomy following ESD in West China Hospital and Shanxian Hygeia Hospital from January 2012 through October 2016. There were 42 males and 15 females at age of 65.4 (52–77) years. There were 15 patients of upper thoracic lesions, the middle thoracic lesions in 34 patients, and the lower thoracic lesions in 8 patients. Results The reasons for esophagectomy included 3 patients with residual tumor, 8 patients with local recurrence, 37 patients with esophageal stricture, and 9 patients with dysphagia, although the diameter was larger than 1.0 cm. The pathology after esophagectomy revealed that tumor was found in 16 patients, including 3 patients with residual tumor and 8 with recurrent tumor confirmed before esophagectomy, and 5 patients with new-found recurrent tumor. Conclusion In the treatment of early stage esophageal cancer or precancerosis, the major reasons for esophagectomy following ESD include esophageal stricture, abnormal esophageal dynamics, local residual or recurrence.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To present the preliminary clinical experience of robot assisted trans-subxiphoid (extended) thymectomy in patients with thymic neoplasms or myasthenia gravis. Methods A total of 62 patients (34 males and 28 females at an average age of 38±11 years) suffering from thymic neoplasms or myasthenia gravis who underwent robotic (extended) thymectomy via subxiphoid approach were included in our department between August 2016 and August 2017. All of the operation were completed through 4 ports. In details, the observation hole was created just below the xiphoid process, two ports for arm 1 and arm 2 were created below bilateral subcostal arch at the midclavicular line, and trocar for arm 3 was placed in the 5th or 6th intercostal space at the anterior axillary line, respectively. Patients with thymic neoplasms received thymectomy. Patients with myasthenia gravis received extended thymectomy. Results All the patients experienced uneventful operations. The mean operative time was 116.0±34.0 min. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 5.6±4.3 ml. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.0±2.2 days. There was no intra-operational massive hemorrhage, mortality, conversion or postoperative complication during the postoperative and follow-up period. Conclusion Robotic trans-subxiphoid thymectomy is safe and feasible, which is a promising technique for extensive application.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (a CRTS group) plus surgery versus surgery alone (a SA group) in the treatment of resectable esophageal neoplasms. Methods PubMed, Ovid Technologies, SCI, CBM Database, CNKI Database, VIP Database and Wanfang Database were searched to identify all published or unpublished RCTs those compared neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery with surgery alone for resectable esophageal neoplasms up to August 1, 2015. Meta-analysis was conducted by using Stata12.0 software. Results Twenty-six RCTs included 3 252 patients (1 606 in the CRTS group, 1 646 in the SA group) were selected. There was a significant difference between the CRTS group and the SA group in 3-year survival rate, 5-year survival rate, R0 resection rate, local recurrence rate, local recurrence and distant metastasis rate with relative risk (RR) value and 95%CI at 1.24 (1.13–1.36, P<0.000 1), 1.29 (1.10–1.50, P=0.001), 1.13 (1.05–1.212, P=0.001), 0.67 (0.52–0.85, P=0.001), 0.60 (0.40–0.90, P=0.013). And there was no significant difference between the CRTS group and the SA group in 1-year survival rate and distant metastasis with RR (95%CI) of 1.05 (0.99–1.12, P=0.103) and 0.84 (0.70–1.00, P=0.053). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications, 30-days mortality, pulmonary infections, anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, cardiac complications, chylothorax between the two groups with RR (95%CI) at 1.09 (0.96–1.24, P=0.166), 1.32 (0.96–1.83, P=0.485), 1.45 (0.94–2.23, P=0.091), 0.89 (0.63–1.25, P=0.485), 0.93 (0.64–1.35, P=0.731), 1.24(0.84–1.87, P=0.283), and 1.62 (0.85–3.07, P=0.142). Conclusion CRTS significantly benefits to survival rate, R0 rescetion rate, and local recurrence rate compared to SA. Additionally there is no increased postoperative complication for patients with resectable esophageal neoplasms.