Comparison of transhiatal esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope with transhiatal esophagectomy by the classic method

This study aimed to evaluate the results of transhiatal esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope in comparison with conventional transhiatal esophagectomy.

Sixty-two esophageal cancer patients who were referred to our thoracic surgery clinic between April 2015 and March 2017, and met the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into two groups of 31 each. In the first group, patients were operated on by conventional transhiatal esophagectomy. In the second group, only release of the thoracic esophagus through a neck incision (mediastinal esophagolysis) was performed using a mediastinoscope. The other surgical procedures were similar to those in the first group.

The mean age of the patients was almost the same in both groups (57.7 years in the first group versus 56.7 years in the second group). There was no significant difference in sex ratio. The mean volume of blood loss during the operation, mean operative time, and intensive care unit stay as well as cardiopulmonary complications and early postoperative complications were lower in the group that had esophagectomy using a mediastinoscope, and the number of resected mediastinal lymph nodes was greater.

Based on the results of this study, it can be expected that use of a video mediastinoscope for esophagolysis of the thoracic esophagus in a transhiatal esophagectomy procedure is safe and it will reduce the morbidity and mortality in these patients.