Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic total esophagectomy for distal esophagus cancer: a case report

After laparoscopic cholecystectomy gained wide acceptance for surgical treat­ment of gallbladder disease in the end of 1980s, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures have been used for other intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic benign or malignant diseases.In May 2005, at Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Surgery, Service C, we have performed a successful thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy to 53 years old man. The patient had a complication of right pulmonary atelectasis and pneumonia in P0D#7 which were treated by antibiotics and conservative meas­urements. He was discharged from the hospital in postoperative day 12 in a healthy situation. Early results of the studies have demonstrated that thoracoscopic mobilization and para-sophageal lymph node dissection of the esophagus together with laparoscopic creation of gastric tube and celiac lymph node dissection are technically safe and associated with low morbidity and mortality rate. These procedures may be an alternative to open transthoracic esophagectomy and transhiatal esophagectomy in relatively early esophageal cancer or patients with partial or complete remission after primary chemoradiation therapy.

Distal Özofagus Kanseri için Torakoskopik ve Laparoskopik Total Özofajektomi: Olgu Sunumu

After laparoscopic cholecystectomy gained wide acceptance for surgical treat­ment of gallbladder disease in the end of 1980s, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures have been used for other intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic benign or malignant diseases.In May 2005, at Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Surgery, Service C, we have performed a successful thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy to 53 years old man. The patient had a complication of right pulmonary atelectasis and pneumonia in P0D#7 which were treated by antibiotics and conservative meas­urements. He was discharged from the hospital in postoperative day 12 in a healthy situation. Early results of the studies have demonstrated that thoracoscopic mobilization and para-sophageal lymph node dissection of the esophagus together with laparoscopic creation of gastric tube and celiac lymph node dissection are technically safe and associated with low morbidity and mortality rate. These procedures may be an alternative to open transthoracic esophagectomy and transhiatal esophagectomy in relatively early esophageal cancer or patients with partial or complete remission after primary chemoradiation therapy.