Single-port inflatable mediastinoscopic esophagectomy is a cure for esophageal cancer patients: Case report

It is often difficult to perform transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) in patients with chest deformities, as these patients may be lost to surgery for non-oncological reasons. PATIENT CONCERNS: In this case, we had a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who was not suitable for TTE because of extensive thoracic adhesions caused by the left pneumonectomy 8 years ago. DIAGNOSES: ESCC. INTERVENTIONS: Based on Professor Fujiwara’s surgical method, we further improved it by proposing a single-port inflatable mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopic-assisted esophagectomy. OUTCOMES: At the time of this writing, computed tomography and gastroscopy revealed no stenosis of anastomosis, and no evidence of disease recurrence. LESSONS: To the best of our knowledge, the present case is the first single-port inflatable mediastinoscopic esophagectomy performed on a patient undergoing pneumonectomy.