ASO Author Reflections: The Timeless Debate Between Ivor-Lewis or McKeown Esophagectomy

Ivor-Lewis (IL) operation, esophagectomy and intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy and McKeown (MK) operation, esophagectomy, and cervical esophagogastrostomy are the most common procedures for esophageal cancer. The authors reported that the oncological outcomes and completeness of upper mediastinal dissection among esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing the IL or MK operations were not different in previous paper. Whether the IL procedure can show equivalent oncologic outcomes as compared to the MK procedure in cases of upper esophageal cancer needs to be further studied in the future. In addition, a comparison of the functional outcomes and quality of life between patients who had undergone the IL and MK operations needs to be explored.