[First experience of minimally invasive surgery in the upper digestive tract]

Upper gastrointestinal cancer is responsible of important numbers deaths worldwide and is widely associated with lifestyle and genetic factors. Minimally invasive surgery treatment is still controversial wit difficult learning curves, longer operative times but clear advantages in bleeding, postoperative pain, return to activities and less complications associated with de incision.

Describe our first experience in minimally invasive surgery of the upper alimentary tract for cancer at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.

Retrospective review of a prospectively set database. We describe the outcomes of patients in whom minimally invasive procedures, for the treatment of cancer of the upper alimentary tract was performed, at the InstitutoNacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia.

In 44 patients video assisted procedures were performed. In 16 of the 44 patients (36,4%) was wedged gastric resection, in 13 patients (29,6%) total gastrectomy, in 9 patients (24,4%) subtotal gastrectomy and in 6 patients (13,6%) and esophagectomy was performed. No intraoperative complications were present. Eight patients had any postoperative complication (18,2%). The average hospital stay was 7,5 days.

Minimally invasive surgery for treatment of the upper gastrointestinal cancer is a safety and factible procedure with acceptable operative times and minimally bleeding in patients with or without co morbidities.