The history of esophageal surgery.

Background: Esophageal surgery has always been considered extremely demanding, given the surgical experience and skills required, due to the anatomic location of the esophagus as well as the impact of such extensive operations on patients' homeostasis. The intention of the present study is to review all historical time points of esophageal surgery, from its inception to the modern era of minimally invasive esophageal surgery.

Methods: The first clear description of esophageal surgery is dated back to 1738, in an attempt to remove a foreign body from the thoracic esophagus.