Comparison of three different operative methods of video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy

Influence of patient position in thoracoscopic esophagectomy on postoperative pneumonia: a comparative analysis from the National Clinical Database in Japan

BACKGROUND

Two prominent patient positions during thoracoscopic esophagectomy are the left lateral decubitus position (LP) and the prone position (PP). However, whether the patient position during thoracoscopic esophagectomy influences short-term outcomes, especially postoperative pneumonia, remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the impact of patient position on the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia.

METHODS

We analyzed 9850 patients who underwent oncologic thoracoscopic esophagectomies between 2016 and 2019 from the National Clinical Database. We compared the short-term outcomes between the LP and PP groups, and the primary outcome measure was the incidence of postoperative pneumonia.

RESULTS

This study included 2637 (26.8%) and 7213 (73.2%) patients in the LP and the PP groups, respectively. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were well-balanced. Compared with the LP group, the PP group had a longer operative time and less blood loss. There were no significant differences in the incidences of postoperative pneumonia, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, anastomotic leakage, severe complications, and reoperation between the groups. Meanwhile, prolonged ventilation and surgery-related mortality occurred more frequently in the LP than in the PP group (P < 0.001 and 0.046, respectively). After multivariable adjustment, the patient position did not significantly influence the incidence of postoperative pneumonia (odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.80-1.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Although prolonged ventilation and surgery-related mortality occurred more frequently in the LP group than in the PP group, the patient position did not significantly influence the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia.

Changes in respiratory mechanics of artificial pneumothorax two-lung ventilation in video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy in prone position

We aimed to clarify the changes in respiratory mechanics and factors associated with them in artificial pneumothorax two-lung ventilation in video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position (PP-VATS-E) for esophageal cancer. Data of patients with esophageal cancer, who underwent PP-VATs-E were retrospectively analyzed. Our primary outcome was the change in the respiratory mechanics after intubation (T1), in the prone position (T2), after initiation of the artificial pneumothorax two-lung ventilation (T3), at 1 and 2 h (T4 and T5), in the supine position (T6), and after laparoscopy (T7). The secondary outcome was identifying factors affecting the change in dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn). Sixty-seven patients were included. Cdyn values were significantly lower at T3, T4, and T5 than at T1 (p < 0.001). End-expiratory flow was significantly higher at T4 and T5 than at T1 (p < 0.05). Body mass index and preoperative FEV_1.0% were found to significantly influence Cdyn reduction during artificial pneumothorax and two-lung ventilation (OR [95% CI]: 1.29 [1.03–2.24] and 0.20 (0.05–0.44); p = 0.010 and p = 0.034, respectively]. Changes in driving pressure were nonsignificant, and hypoxemia requiring treatment was not noted. This study suggests that in PP-VATs-E, artificial pneumothorax two-lung ventilation is safer for the management of anesthesia than conventional one-lung ventilation (UMIN Registry: 000042174).

Minimal Invasive Esophagectomy-a New Dawn of EsophagealSurgery

Surgery is the mainstay of esophageal cancer. However, esophagectomy is a major surgical trauma on a patient with high morbidity and mortality. The intent of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is to decrease the degree of surgical trauma and perioperative morbidity associated with open surgery, and provide faster recovery and shorter hospital stay with the equivalent oncological outcome. It also allows for lesser pulmonary morbidity, less blood loss, less pain, and a better quality of life. MIE is safe and effective but has a steep learning curve with high technical expertise. Recently, it is increasingly accepted and adopted all over the globe. In this article, we discuss the safety, efficacy, short-term, and oncological outcomes of thoracoscopic- and laparoscopic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy and robotic surgery compared with open esophagectomy with a special focus on the Indian perspective.

Comparison of perioperative and oncological outcome of thoracoscopic esophagectomy in left decubitus position and in prone position for esophageal cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to clarify the differences between thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left decubitus position (LP) and in the prone position (PP) in terms of short-term perioperative outcomes and long-term oncological outcomes after more than 5 years of follow-up.

METHODS

Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy and were followed up for more than 5 years were analyzed retrospectively. Of 142 patients, 72 underwent LP esophagectomy and 70 underwent PP esophagectomy. Operation time, blood loss, operative morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and the number of dissected lymph nodes were compared to evaluate short-term outcomes. Cancer recurrence and overall survival were compared to examine long-term outcomes.

RESULTS

Patient and tumor characteristics were not different between the LP and PP groups except for the rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Blood loss was significantly lower in the PP group than in the LP group. Incidence of Clavien-Dindo (C.D.) grade ≥ III complications was significantly lower in the PP group than in the LP group. Pulmonary complications were also significantly lower in the PP group than in the LP group. Operation type (LP versus PP) was identified as an independent risk factor for pulmonary complications (odds ratio 0.27, p = 0.03) by multivariate analysis. Cancer recurrence rate, initial recurrence site, and overall survival rate were not different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

PP is regarded as a less invasive procedure than LP with the same oncological effect.

Efficacy of CO2 insufflation during thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral position

OBJECTIVE

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) is widely performed as a minimally invasive technique in the management of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of intrathoracic carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation during TE in the left lateral position.

METHODS

From January 2010 to April 2016, 58 patients with esophageal cancer underwent TE without intrathoracic CO2 insufflation (Group N) and 37 patients with esophageal cancer underwent TE with intrathoracic CO2 insufflation (Group C). The operation results and respiratory parameters during the thoracic procedure were compared in both groups.

RESULTS

A satisfactory surgical field was obtained by CO2 insufflation. There was no difference in the duration of the thoracic procedure or number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes between the two groups. The amount of thoracic blood loss in Group C was significantly less than that in Group N (P < 0.05). Intrathoracic CO2 insufflation did not affect oxygenation during single-lung ventilation. However, both end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) 1 h after single-lung ventilation and maximum ETCO2 in Group C were significantly higher than those in Group N. Intraoperative hypercapnia in Group C was permissive. The rate of extubation in the operation room, mortality and morbidity were not different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Intrathoracic CO2 insufflation is beneficial to make satisfactory surgical field and to reduce thoracic blood loss in TE. Application of intrathoracic CO2 insufflation may contribute to the widespread adoption of TE in the left lateral position.

Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy in the Prone Position Versus the Lateral Position (Hand-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery): A Retrospective Cohort Study of 127 Consecutive Esophageal Cancer Patients

PURPOSE

To assess the validity of esophagectomy with the patient in the prone position (PP), the short-term surgical results of PP and hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (HATS) were compared.

METHODS

This study enrolled 127 patients who underwent esophagectomy with HATS (n=91) or PP (n=36) between October 1999 and September 2014. The patients' background characteristics, operative findings, and postoperative complications were examined.

RESULTS

The patients' background characteristics were not significantly different. During surgery, total and thoracic blood loss were significantly lower in PP than in HATS (P<0.0001, <0.0001). Other operative findings were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Postoperatively, recurrent nerve palsy was significantly less frequent in PP than in HATS (P=0.049). In the comparison between the recurrent nerve palsy-positive and palsy-negative groups, sex (male) and preoperative respiratory comorbidity (negative) were significantly correlated with recurrent nerve palsy.

CONCLUSIONS

In thoracoscopic esophagectomy, the PP was associated with lower surgical stress than HATS, with equal operative performance oncologically. The PP could prevent recurrent nerve palsy because of the magnified view effect.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy performed with the patient in a prone position: a systematic review

PURPOSE

We reviewed the surgical results of minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, performed with the patient in a prone position (MIE-PP), to assess its benefits.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed, and articles that fully described the surgical results of MIE-PP were selected. Parameters such as operative time, blood loss, and postoperative outcomes were compared with those obtained for open transthoracic esophagectomy (OE) and minimally invasive esophagectomy in a lateral decubitus position (MIE-LP).

RESULTS

The conversion rate from MIE-PP to open surgery was very low. MIE-PP was associated with longer operative time and lower blood loss than OE. Although studies from a single institution did not show an apparent difference in morbidity or mortality among the three operative groups, results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial showed a reduction in pulmonary infection and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in MIE-PP, compared with OE. The benefits of MIE-PP vs. those of MIE-LP remain controversial.

CONCLUSION

Theoretically, the operative results of MIE-PP might be better than those of MIE-LP for patients with esophageal cancer; however, studies have not yet verified this. Further clinical studies are required to establish whether the advantages of MIE-PP can be translated into clinical outcome.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy: Lateral decubitus vs. prone positioning; systematic review and pooled analysis

The uptake of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has increased vastly over the last decade, with proven short-term benefits over an open approach. The aim of this pooled analysis was to compare clinical outcomes of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (MIE) performed in the prone and lateral decubitus positions. A systematic literature search (2000-2015) was undertaken for publications that compared patients who underwent MIE in the lateral decubitus (LD) or prone (PR) positions. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated for the effect size of LD positioning on continuous variables and Pooled odds ratios (POR) for discrete variables. Ten relevant publications comprising 723 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy were included; 387 in the LD group and 336 in the PR group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of in-hospital mortality, total morbidity, anastomotic leak, chylothorax, laryngeal nerve palsy, average operative time, and length hospital stay. LD MIE was associated with a non-significant increase in pulmonary complications (POR = 1.65; 95% C.I. 0.93 to 2.92; P = 0.09), and significant increases in estimated blood loss (WMD = 36.03; 95% 14.37 to 57.69; P = 0.001) and a reduced average mediastinal lymph node harvest (WMD = -2.17; 95% C.I. -3.82 to -0.52; P = 0.01) when compared to prone MIE. Pooled analysis suggests that prone MIE is superior to lateral decubitus MIE with reduced pulmonary complications, estimated blood loss and increased mediastinal lymph node harvest. Further studies are needed to explain performance-shaping factors and their influence on oncological clearance and short-term outcomes.

[Initial results of robotic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer]

INTRODUCTION

There is scant experience with robot-assisted esophagectomy in cases of esophageal and gastro-esophageal junction cancer. Our aim is to report our current experience.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Observational cohort study of the first 32 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from September 2011 to June 2014. The gastric tube was created laparoscopically. In the thoracic field, a robot-assisted thoracoscopic approach was performed in the prone position with intrathoracic robotic hand-sewn anastomosis. Patient and tumour characteristics, surgical technique, short-term outcomes (morbidity and mortality) and oncological results (radicality and number of removed nodes) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients, with a mean age of 58 years (34-74) were treated by a totally minimally invasive esophagectomy: robotic laparoscopy and thoracoscopy (11 McKeown and 21 Ivor-Lewis). Twenty-nine received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. There were no conversions to open surgery. Console time was 218minutes (190-285). Blood loss was 170ml (40-255). One patient died from cardiac disease. Nine patients had a major complication (Dindo-Clavien grade II or higher). There was no case of respiratory complication or recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Five patients had intrathoracic fistula, 4 radiological and one clinical. Three had chylothorax, 2 cervical fistula and one gastric tube necrosis. The median hospital stay was 12 days (8-50). All the resections were R0 and the median of removed lymph nodes was 16 (2-23).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that minimally invasive esophagectomy with robot-assisted thoracoscopy is safe and achieves oncological standards.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position versus in the lateral position for patients with esophageal cancer: a comparison of short-term surgical results

AIM

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) in the prone position for patients with esophageal cancer has received a great deal of attention. We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes and surgical stress of TE in the prone position (TE-P) and in the lateral position (TE-L) at our institution.

METHODS

A total of 58 consecutive patients (28 in the TE-L group and 30 in the TE-P group) were studied. Between the 2 groups, clinical outcomes and various parameters were compared.

RESULTS

There were no hospital deaths in both TEL and TEP groups. Blood loss during the thoracoscopic part of the surgery were significantly (P<0.01) lower in the TE-P group (118±72 mL) compared with the TE-L (245±203 mL) group. The incidence of respiratory complications tended to be lower (P=0.07) in the TE-P group (3.3%) than in the TE-L (17.8%) group. The duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome condition was significantly (P=0.02) shorter in the TE-P group (1.5±2.5 d) than in TE-L (3.6±3.5 d) group. The levels of serum C-reactive protein on postoperative days 1 and 2 were significantly (P<0.01) lower in the TE-P group than in the TE-L group.

CONCLUSIONS

TE-P for patients with esophageal cancer was safe and feasible. TE-P might be a potentially less invasive procedure than TE-L.

Initial results of robot-assisted Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy with intrathoracic hand-sewn anastomosis in the prone position

BACKGROUND

There is scanty experience concerning robot-assisted Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy, so every new experience is helpful.

METHODS

We describe the techniques and short-term results of Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy using a laparoscopic approach and robot-assisted thoracoscopy, and an observational study of prospective surveillance of the first 14 patients treated for oesophageal cancer. A gastric tube was created laparoscopically. Oesophagectomy was performed through a robot-assisted thoracoscopy followed by hand-sewn intrathoracic anastomosis.

RESULTS

There were no conversion cases. Mortality was zero. Six patients had a major complication. There were no cases of respiratory complication or recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Three patients had a radiological fistula (21.4%), successfully treated by endoscopic stenting, and one (7.1%) had an anastomosis leak needing reoperation. There were two cases of chylothorax (14.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our initial results suggest that the reported technique is safe and satisfies the oncological principles. It provides the advantages of minimally invasive surgery by overcoming some limitations of conventional thoracoscopy.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy using prone positioning

Thoracotomic esophagectomy followed by cervical and abdominal procedures has been conventionally performed as the best curable operative procedure for treating invasive thoracic esophageal carcinoma. Despite improvements in the survival rate, the procedure is associated with significant operative morbidity and mortality rates due to the extreme invasiveness of an extensive dissection of the lymph nodes. Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was developed to reduce surgical invasiveness. Recently, the use of thoracoscopic esophagectomy performed in the prone position has stimulated new interest in minimally invasive approaches. However, the advantages and disadvantages of this technique are not well known. In this review, the literature to date, including series and comparative studies of minimally invasive esophagectomy performed in the prone position, is summarized, and the various lessons learned and controversies surrounding this technique are addressed.

Strategies to reduce pulmonary complications after esophagectomy

Esophagectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of the esophagus, is a surgical procedure that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary complications are an especially important postoperative problem. Therefore, many perioperative strategies to prevent pulmonary complications after esophagectomy have been investigated and introduced in daily clinical practice. Here, we review these strategies, including improvement of patient performance and technical advances such as minimally invasive surgery that have been implemented in recent years. Furthermore, interventions such as methylprednisolone, neutrophil elastase inhibitor and epidural analgesia, which have been shown to reduce pulmonary complications, are discussed. Benefits of the commonly applied routine nasogastric decompression, delay of oral intake and prophylactic mechanical ventilation are unclear, and many of these strategies are also evaluated here. Finally, we will discuss recent insights and new developments aimed to improve pulmonary outcomes after esophagectomy.

Thoracoscopic oesophageal mobilization during thoracolaparoscopy three-stage oesophagectomy: a comparison of lateral decubitus versus semiprone positions

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to compare thoracoscopic mobilization of the oesophagus in the lateral decubitus position and the semiprone position and to identify potential differences between the two techniques.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained oesophagectomy database identified 150 patients undergoing combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic oesophagectomy (TLO). Of these, 90 cases underwent thoracoscopic oesophageal mobilization in the left lateral decubitus position. The remaining 60 cases underwent thoracoscopic oesophageal mobilization in the semiprone position.

RESULTS

There were no differences in the clinicopathological factors and tumour characteristics between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the blood loss, operation time, the incidence of conversion, length of hospital stay or in the number of retrieved mediastinal and abdominal nodes between the two groups. There was no significant difference with regard to the incidence of respiratory complications, anastomotic leaks, vocal cord palsy, chylothorax, delayed gastric emptying, arrhythmia and intestinal obstruction between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The semiprone and lateral decubitus positions each have their inherent advantages and disadvantages. Our initial experience confirmed that while the semiprone position is associated with superior surgical ergonomics and better exposure of the posterior mediastinum, there is no convincing evidence that semiprone thoracoscopic oesophagectomy is superior to the left lateral decubitus positioning with respect to the major surgical outcomes and oncological clearance.

Intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis using a linear stapler following minimally invasive esophagectomy in the prone position

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in the prone position typically includes thoracoscopic mediastinal dissection and laparoscopic gastric tube construction, followed by esophagogastric anastomosis in the neck. We introduced an intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis using linear staplers.

TECHNIQUE

The lower mediastinal dissection and the gastric tube construction are done in the laparoscopic part of the operation. The esophagus is transected at the cranial level of the aortic arch after the completion of the upper mediastinal lymph node dissection in the prone position. The excess length of the gastric tube is sacrificed before making the anastomosis. Side-to-side esophagogastric anastomosis is performed using a 35-mm endoscopic linear stapler. The entry hole is closed with hand suturing using the posterior and the axillary port.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients with middle or lower esophageal tumor underwent MIE with an intrathoracic anastomosis. The mean thoracoscopic procedure time was 302 min. One patient had an anastomotic leakage, which was successfully managed with drainage. There has been no anastomotic stenosis. Pneumonia was observed in two patients. There was no mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

MIE with an intrathoracic linear-stapled anastomosis with the patient in the prone position is safe and feasible.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive esophageal surgery has arisen in an attempt to reduce the significant complications associated with esophagectomy. Despite proposed technical and physiological advantages, the prone position technique has not been widely adopted. This article reviews the current status of prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed to identify all published clinical studies related to prone esophagectomy. Medline, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords "prone," "thoracoscopic," and "esophagectomy" to identify articles published between January 1994 and September 2010. A critical review of these studies is given, and where appropriate the technique is compared to the more traditional minimally invasive technique utilising the left lateral decubitus position.

RESULTS

Twelve articles reporting the outcomes following prone thoracoscopic oesophagectomy were tabulated. These studies were all non-randomised single-centre prospective or retrospective studies of which four compared the technique to traditional minimally invasive surgery. Although prone esophagectomy is demonstrated as being both feasible and safe, there is no convincing evidence that it is superior to other forms of esophageal surgery. Most authors comment that the prone position is associated with superior surgical ergonomics and theoretically offers a number of physiological benefits.

CONCLUSION

The ideal approach within minimally invasive esophageal surgery continues to be a subject of debate since no single method has produced outstanding results. Further clinical studies are required to see whether ergonomic advantages of the prone position can be translated into improved patient outcomes.

Should thoracoscopic three-stage esophagectomy be performed in the prone or left lateral decubitus position?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the thoracoscopic phase of three-stage minimally-invasive esophagectomy is best performed in the prone or left lateral decubitus position. A total of 31 papers were found using the reported searches, of which seven represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. We conclude that there is no convincing evidence that prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy is superior to left lateral decubitus positioning. Four papers retrospectively compared the prone and lateral techniques, and while the authors suggested that the prone position was associated with better surgical ergonomics due to the effects of gravity pooling blood outside the operative view and the reduced need for lung retraction, outcomes were not significantly different. All four studies had significant limitations, such as small patient populations and sequential operating with the possible effect of a learning curve. Two studies compared respiratory and haemodynamic changes associated with prone positioning and suggest that it is physiologically well tolerated and may offer better oxygenation, similar to that seen in the prone positioning of acute respiratory distress patients. The evidence for prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy is currently not mature enough to reach any significant conclusions, and randomized studies are required.