Combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic oesophagectomy and oesophagogastric reconstruction

Subtotal oesophagectomy and stapled oesophagogastric anastomosis is a favoured option for cure or palliation of oesophageal carcinoma. This approach currently involves a thoracotomy and laparotomy exposing the patient to the attendant pulmonary and intrathoracic complications. Alternative approaches to oesophagectomy without thoracotomy have failed to diminish the complication rate and may compromise the chance of cure. An endoscopic approach to the oesophagus is considered to be an evolving solution because it removes the need for thoracotomy and laparotomy but adheres to established oncologic principles. In order to assess the feasibility of complete endosurgical oesophagectomy and immediate reconstruction a non-survival study using 10 pigs was undertaken. Under general anaesthesia a 3-step operation was performed consisting of thoracoscopic oesophageal dissection, laparoscopic gastric mobilisation and thoracoscopic oesophagogastric anastomosis using a circular endoluminal stapler (Stealth-Ethicon). Conversion to open surgery was required only once during a gastric dissection, and all anastomoses were safely constructed thoracoscopically. In three animals small anastomotic tears were repaired with endoscopically-placed sutures. Three animals died intraoperatively, two from an anaesthetic complication prior to the introduction of intra-operative monitoring, and the other following haemorrhage from an hepatic vein traumatised by a liver retractor. This study has shown that endosurgical oesophagectomy is technically feasible and stapled oesophagogastric anastomosis can be performed in a comparable manner to the conventional procedure.