Specific complications and limitations of robotic esophagectomy

Regardless of the approach to esophagectomy, it is an operation that may be associated with significant risk to the patient. Robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) has the same potential for short- and long-term complications as does open and minimally invasive esophagectomy. These complications include among others, the risk for anastomotic leak, gastric tip necrosis, vocal cord palsy, and chylothorax. Moreover, there are additional risks that are unique to the robotic platform such as hardware or software malfunction. These risks are heavily influenced by numerous factors including the patient's comorbidities, whether neoadjuvant therapy was administered, and the extent of the surgical team's experience. The limitations of RAMIE are therefore based on the careful assessment of the patient for operability, the tumor for resectability and the team for surgical ability. This article will tackle the topic of complications and limitations of RAMIE by examining each of these issues. It will also describe the recommended terminology for reporting post-esophagectomy complications.