Endoscopic treatment of benign esophageal tumors: case report of three patients.

Benign esophageal tumors are rare. Enucleation of the tumor is considered when the patient reports problems. The traditional approach is to use thoracotomy or laparotomy if the tumor is located in the distal esophagus. The use of minimally invasive techniques permits enucleation with all the concomitant advantages. Our experience with the minimally invasive management of three benign esophageal tumors is described. The methods and results of preoperative studies are reported. The surgical technique is described. Two patients could be managed using thoracoscopy, and one patient required conversion to laparoscopy. All the patients had complete and quick recoveries.