Short-term outcomes following total minimally invasive oesophagectomy.

Background: Minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIO; thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, cervical anastomosis) is a complex procedure and few substantial series have been published. This study documented the morbidity, mortality and challenges of adopting MIO in a specialist unit in the UK.

Methods: A prospective group of 77 patients was listed consecutively with the intention of performing MIO. Three other patients underwent open oesophagectomy during the study period.

Results: MIO was attempted in 77 patients, completed successfully in 70, abandoned in six patients (8 per cent) with unsuspected metastatic disease, and converted to a thoracoscopic anastomosis in one patient. There was one in-hospital death (1 per cent). Complications occurred in 33 patients (47 per cent), including nine gastric conduit-related complications (13 per cent). Median lymph node harvest was 21 (range 7-48) nodes. Mean overall and disease-free survival times were 35 and 33 months respectively. Median disease-free survival for patients with stage III disease was 26 months.

Conclusion: MIO can be performed with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates in an unselected series of patients. There was more morbidity related to gastric tube ischaemia than was expected.