Transcervical Transtracheal Resection of Cervical Esophageal Smooth Muscle Tumor

Cervical esophageal smooth muscle tumors are traditionally resected via lateral transcervical with or without video-assisted thoracoscopic approaches. Exposure is frequently limited, however, with risks of recurrent laryngeal nerve and posterior tracheal wall injury and jeopardization of cervical tracheal and cervical esophageal blood supply. We herein describe an anterior transcervical transtracheal approach to counter some of the aforementioned problems and avoid morbidities associated with thoracoscopic surgery when resecting smooth muscle tumors arising from the cervical esophagus.