Minimally Invasive Techniques and Hybrid Operations for Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is slowly gaining acceptance due to advantages in short-term outcome. While evidence is slowly increasing, the discussion about MIE is still controversial. METHODS: A literature review was performed to compare MIE with open esophagectomy (OE). Current studies are summarized in view of short- and long-term outcome as well as oncological accuracy. RESULTS: The majority of studies show that MIE is associated with a significant reduction of pulmonary complications, blood loss, and shorter length of stay on the intensive care unit. Pulmonary complications are reduced by 14-65%. MIE shows an improved quality of life 6 weeks after surgery. There is some evidence that the endoscopic reintervention rate may be higher after MIE than after OE. Mortality rates do not differ. Regarding oncological results, the rate of R0 resections is comparable between MIE and OE, as is the number of retrieved lymph nodes. Long-term survival seems to be comparable. A few single center trials suggest oncological advantages of MIE over OE concerning the number of lymph nodes, R0 resection rate, and 1-year survival. CONCLUSION: Current evidence supports that MIE has advantages over OE in the short-term outcome. Oncological results are comparable to those achieved by OE. As a result, MIE has already been included in current guidelines for the treatment of esophageal cancer.