Video-assisted laparoscopic resection of the esophagus for carcinoma after neoadjuvant therapy

Classical operation approaches, used for decades during subtotal esophageal resection for esophageal carcinoma, have certain disadvantages. The transhiatal "blind" approach according to Orringer lacks sufficient radicality, the thoracotomic approach is burdened by serious postoperative complications, primarily respiratory. These disadvantages are eliminated to a great extent by use of the video-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal approach, which is presented in our study.

Between 2000-2006 forty-three patients with esophageal cancer underwent video-laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy. In all patients passage was renewed by esophagogastroplasty, constructed by placing the neoesophagus in the posterior mediastinum, anastomosis with the cervical esophagus from a laparotomy. Prior to the operation, 27 patients underwent neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy. Chemotherapy consisted of 5 fluorouracil and cisplatinum, and radiotherapy with a total dose of 50 Gy.

The extirpation phase was completed laparoscopically in all patients. Right-sided pneumothorax was seen in 27 patients, in six cases postoperative manifestation of left vocal chord paresis due to damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve was observed, in 2 patients a fistula developed in the cervical anastomosis, which in all cases healed spontaneously. The operation time ranged between 225-370 minutes, the average time being 256 minutes. The mini-invasive phase took an average of 40 minutes. One patient died 57 days after the operation due to respiratory insufficiency. The average hospital stay was 12.2 days.

The video-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal approach proved to be very useful during subtotal esophageal resection. In tumors localized in the lower portion of the esophagus, it completely replaces the transhiatal "blind" approach according to Orringer and, in comparison, eliminates operative hemorrhagic complications, which are more frequent in "blind" extirpations, especially in patients after neoadjuvant therapy. It also enables performing a lymphadenectomy, which is not possible using the "blind" approach. In tumors of the middle thoracic esophagus, which are inaccessible by the original Orringer's approach, it eliminates the need for a thoracotomy, which significantly contributes to the decrease of respiratory complications.