Robotic esophagectomy: results from a tertiary care Italian center.

There is growing evidence supporting the use of minimally invasive resection in esophageal surgery, mainly due to reduced postoperative morbidity and faster recovery after surgery. In recent years, robot-assisted surgery has shown some potential benefits over conventional laparo-thoracoscopic esophagectomy. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with different esophageal resections with a full-robotic approach for malignant disease. All consecutive patients with resectable esophageal malignancy undergoing robotic esophagectomy over a 6-year time frame by a single surgical team were included in this analysis. Perioperative and clinicopathological outcomes were assessed. A total of 76 patients received robotic esophagectomy. Surgeries included 45 Lewis procedures, 25 McKeown procedures, and six transhiatal resections. There were no intraoperative complications and no conversions occurred. The rate of postoperative morbidity was 41%, while the rate of anastomotic leak was 13%. Overall, eight patients required reintervention. All patients received R0 resection, with a median of harvested lymph nodes of 35. 30-day and 90-day mortality was 3.9 and 7.9%, respectively. Our findings support the safety and oncological efficiency of full-robotic esophagectomy. All procedures of esophageal resection were associated with the expected perioperative morbidity while providing excellent pathological outcomes for patients with malignancy.

Early experience with totally robotic esophagectomy for malignancy. Surgical and oncological outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Over recent decades, minimally invasive esophagectomy has gained popularity and is increasingly performed worldwide. The aim of this work was to investigate the perioperative, clinicopathologic, and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted esophagectomy on a consecutive series of totally robotic procedures. METHODS: All patients received either an Ivor Lewis or a McKeown procedure according to tumor location. Perioperative, clinicopathologic and oncological outcomes were examined. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients underwent robot-assisted esophagectomy procedures. All underwent surgery for primary esophageal neoplasms. Neoadjuvant therapy was given to 22 patients. R0 resections were achieved in all patients and no conversion to open surgery occurred. Overall morbidity and mortality were 42% and 10%, respectively. The 1 year disease free survival was 78.9%, whereas the 1 year overall survival was 84.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic surgery can be employed to treat esophageal malignancy competently. Robotic esophagectomy satisfies all features of pathologic appropriateness and offers the expected oncological results.