Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position for esophageal cancer with right aortic arch: case report

A congenital anomaly of the right aortic arch (RAA) is rare, and esophageal cancer associated with the vascular ring is even more rare. In such cases, it is very important to understand the anatomical situation in the upper mediastinum in order to perform a safe and curative operation. A 52-year-old man who presented with odynophagia was admitted to our department after a diagnosis of advanced esophageal cancer. Chest computed tomography revealed an RAA with an aberrant subclavian artery and showed that the esophagus was completely encircled by the RAA, aortic diverticulum, and pulmonary artery. By the thoracoscopic view with the patient in the prone position, we were able to easily and safely identify the anatomical location of the upper mediastinum and successfully perform thoracoscopic esophagectomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient undergoing total thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position without thoracotomy.