Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Esophagus for Treating Locally Recurrent Gastric Cancer at the Anastomotic Site

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of video-assisted thoracic surgery for esophagus (VATS-E) for the treatment of locally recurrent gastric cancer at the anastomotic site. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: A 59-year-old man underwent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Histopathologically, it was mucinous adenocarcinoma [pT1(sm), pN1, sM0, PM(-), DM(-), stage IB]. Local recurrence was detected and he received chemotherapy and radiotherapy; histopathologically, it was identified as mucinous adenocarcinoma [pT1(sm), pN0, sM0, stage IA]. As the local recurrence was uncontrollable, he underwent VATS-E. At the 1-year follow-up, he was recurrence-free. CONCLUSION: The VATS-E minimally invasive surgery was a very useful technique for anastomotic recurrence after total gastrectomy in our patient.