[Laparoscopically-assisted trans-mediastinal esophagectomy]

In esophageal cancer blunt dissection of the esophagus is reasonable in high-risk patients. Manual dissection can compromise the heart and reduce blood pressure. This can be avoided by laparoscopically assisted transmediastinal dissection of the esophagus. We describe the operative procedure and report on a patient with coronary heart disease who suffered from cancer of the cardia spreading into the esophagus as well as into the stomach. Esophagogastrectomy was performed with jejunal replacement.