Modified anastomotic technique for thoracolaparoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy: early outcomes and technical details

Thoracoscopic intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy is a technically demanding operation; these technical requirements restrict the extensive application of minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. In an attempt to reduce the difficulty of this surgical procedure, this study developed a modified anastomotic technique for thoracolaparoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. During the entirety of this modified approach, neither technically challenging operations such as intrathoracic suturing or knotting, nor special instruments such as an OrVil system or a reverse-puncture head are required. Between October 2015 and January 2016, 15 consecutive patients with cancer in the distal third of the esophagus or the gastric cardia underwent this modified surgical procedure. The good short-term outcomes that were achieved suggest that the modified anastomotic technique is safe and feasible for thoracolaparoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.