Minimally invasive and robotic esophagectomy: Evolution and evidence

Esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis, with little improvement in outcomes in recent years. Surgery maintains its pivotal role in cure, but this involves two or three compartment dissection with associated high risks. Chiefly, pulmonary complications following surgery are most common, and can be life-threatening. As a consequence, minimally invasive and robotic esophagectomy have been performed with improving efficacy and equivalent oncological outcomes. This is a review of the pertinent literature regarding these techniques. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:731-735. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.