Laparoscopic excision of esophageal leiomyoma through an anterior esophagotomy

MIS for enucleation of leiomyoma of the oesophagus-strategic approach and experience of 19 cases

INTRODUCTION

Leiomyoma of the oesophagus, although rare, is the most common benign tumour to occur in the organ. Surgical approaches have evolved over time from an open thoracotomy or laparotomy to video-assisted thoracoscopic or laparoscopic and now robotic enucleation. We report a series of 19 cases of leiomyoma of the middle- and lower-third oesophagus treated by minimally invasive surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 19 cases operated at a single tertiary care centre in India was performed. After the diagnosis of a benign oesophageal neoplasm on computed tomography (CT) and endosonography, laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation of the tumour for lower third ( n = 16) and right-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic excision for middle-third tumours ( n = 3) were performed. Dor fundoplication was done after the excision of leiomyomas from the lower oesophagus.

RESULTS

The most common symptom at presentation was retrosternal burning in lower oesophageal tumours, while tumours in the middle third of the oesophagus were asymptomatic and incidentally detected. The size of the tumour ranged from 3 cm to 8 cm in the largest dimension on contrast-enhanced CT scan. The mean operative time was 93 min ranging from 61 to 137 min. The average blood loss was 53 ml. No patient had an iatrogenic oesophageal mucosal injury. There were no conversions to open surgery or major complications including post-operative leak or death. Post-operative recovery was uneventful.

CONCLUSION

The transhiatal approach to lower oesophageal leiomyomas is strategic to avoid complications of thoracoscopy, minimally invasive, cost-effective as compared to robotic surgery, suitable for adequate exposure and safe in the hands of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon.

Complete laparoscopic-transhiatal removal of duplex benign oesophageal tumour: case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Leiomyoma is the most common benign oesophageal tumour. Half of all leiomyoma patients have oesophagus-associated complaints, such as dysphagia and epigastric pain, and the other 50% are asymptomatic with a diagnosis made on incidental discovery. Endoscopic ultrasonography is essential for an accurate preoperative workup and can enable guided-tissue acquisition for immunohistochemistry in certain cases. Smaller tumours are amenable to traditional and novel endoscopic removal in specialized centres, but some complex cases require surgical enucleation with a minimally invasive approach.

CASE PRESENTATION

An asymptomatic 60-year-old woman was accidentally diagnosed with a bifocal oesophageal mass, which was discovered by chest computed tomography. We report a rare case of a duplicated lower-third oesophageal leiomyoma, which was completely removed via the laparoscopic transhiatal approach. The patient has recovered successfully from the surgery. She has been followed up for six months with a normal oesophagram, adequate oesophageal function and no complaints observed. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyoma in both lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of duplex oesophageal leiomyomas removed laparoscopically. Using the minimally invasive abdominal technique, the lower oesophagus can be mobilised to the mediastinum without pleura injury and offers a good alternative to the thoracoscopic approach in patients with possible intrathoracic difficulties. At experienced centres, laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation of lower oesophageal leiomyomas and other benign tumours with a combination of intraoperative oesophagoscopy is a safe, fast and effective operation.

Robotic-assisted enucleation of a large lower esophageal leiomyoma and review of literature

Leiomyoma is the most common benign esophageal neoplasm. Different invasive surgical approaches have been described for management of such lesions. The literature is reviewed and a robotic assisted left thoracoscopic enucleation with the patient in the right side position is described. A 40-year-old male patient, otherwise healthy, found to have a lower midiastinal mass on screening X-ray, is described. Physical examination and blood tests were within normal limits. Diagnostic work-up included: computerized tomography (CT) scanning of the chest and midiastinum that revealed a 40 × 30 mm mass of the distal esophagus, an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a lower protruding esophageal submucosal mass with intact mucosa, a filling defect was apparent on esophagography. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) showed the same findings, biopsies were taken and leimyoma was diagnosed. Under general anesthesia with a double-lumen endotracheal tube, the patient was positioned on his right side. A 30 robotic scope was introduced in the left 7th intercostal space on the posterior axillary line. Two 8-mm robotic trocars were inserted in the left 5th and 9th intercostals spaces on the same line. Operative field was clearly exposed and an additional 5-mm ethicon trocar was inserted. The inferior pulmonary ligament was released, the parietal pleural space opened, proximal and distal control was achieved using Penrose. The muscular layer of the lower esophagus was opened by coagulation hook, the lesion was enucleated without mucosal penetration. Intraoperative endoscopy permitted localization of the lesion and ensured mucosal integrity. The muscular layer was not closed and the chest drain was left. Total operative time was 200 min and blood loss was less than 20 mL. A Gastrograffin swallow on the first post-operative day showed good esophageal clearance and absence of leak, the patient was allowed a liquid diet. He was discharged on the third post-operative day in a good general condition, benign pathology was confirmed.

Laparoscopic excision of esophageal leiomyoma. Updates Surg. 2012;64:315-318. [PMID: 21898175 DOI: 10.1007/s13304-011-0108-1]

Esophageal leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the esophagus. The lower and middle thirds of the esophagus are the most frequent locations of these tumors and in about one-third of the patients they occur at the level of the gastroesophageal junction. They are less than 5 cm in size in 50% of the patients. A left thoracotomy, thoracoscopy or a laparoscopic approach can be used for lesions in the lower third of the esophagus. Esophageal leiomyomas should be considered for resection when symptomatic. Preoperative evaluation allows precise characterization of the diagnosis and location. Minimally invasive surgery is considered today the treatment of choice with the laparoscopic approach used for distal tumors. We present the case of a 63-year-old woman with an esophageal leiomyoma located above the gastroesophageal junction who underwent a successful laparoscopic excision of the tumor.

Minimally invasive surgical enucleation for esophageal leiomyoma: report of seven cases

Benign esophageal tumor is a rare entity, with leiomyoma being the most common lesion. We present our experience with enucleation of esophageal leiomyomas using a minimally invasive approach. Between March 1998 and June 2008, seven patients with esophageal leiomyoma underwent right thoracosopic enucleation (n=4) or laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation (n=3). A Dor (n=2) or Toupet fundoplication (n=1) were added for laparoscopic procedure. The mean tumor size was 3.9 cm (range, 1.5-5.5 cm). Tumor locations were upper (n=2), middle (n=1), and lower (n=4) thirds of the esophagus. No major morbidities including postoperative leakage or mortalities occurred. At a mean follow-up period of 60.1 months (range, 14-260 months), no evidence of recurrences were observed. Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation for esophageal leiomyomas is a safe and feasible procedure. The optimal approaches should be tailored based on the location and size of the tumor.

Robotic Fourth-Arm Enucleation of an Esophageal Leiomyoma and Review of Literature

Esophageal leiomyomas are resected in symptomatic and/or malignancy-suspicious cases. Traditionally, they have been removed by laparotomy or thoracotomy and more recently by thoracoscopy and laparoscopy. Mucosal injury is reported as high as 7% of cases but may be higher in unreported general practice. Robotic technology seems to offer advantages. We describe a robotic approach that seems to minimize mobilization of the esophagus, potentially decreasing the likelihood of mucosal injury and postoperative recovery time. We review the literature to evaluate the reports of mucosal injury with the open, minimally invasive, and robotic techniques and describe our own method. To improve efficiency, we use a four-arm technique.

Minimally invasive therapy for benign tumors of the distal third of the esophagus--a single institute's experience

INTRODUCTION

Traditionally, the treatment of benign esophageal tumors is enucleation achieved via a thoracotomy. Since 1992, many reports of thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approaches have been published. In this paper, we present a retrospective study of 18 patients with benign distal esophageal tumors who underwent minimally invasive procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 18 patients were treated in our institute form 1994 to 2006. Tumors of the middle third were approached thoracoscopically, and laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation was performed for tumors of the lower third. One patient had associated achalasia cardia, for which a cardiomyotomy with Toupet fundoplication was also performed, and another patient underwent an esophagectomy for a large tumor.

RESULTS

There were 12 males and 6 females and the average age was 59 years. The majority of the tumors were in the lower third, and the most common type of tumor was leiomyoma. Postoperative complications were recorded.

DISCUSSION

Leiomyomas are the most common benign tumors and are located frequently in the middle and lower third. Based on our experience, we feel that lower esophageal tumors are best approached by a laparoscopic transhiatal route and midesophageal tumors by a right thoracoscopic approach.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive surgery for benign esophageal tumors is ideal, reducing the morbidity of conventional methods.

Enucleation of submucosal tumors of the esophagus: minimally invasive versus open approach

BACKGROUND

Surgical enucleation of submucosal tumors (SMTs) of the esophagus (mostly leiomyomas) is indicated when either the tumors are symptomatic or their biological behavior is unclear. The classic approach is a thoracotomy, but tumor enucleation can now also be performed via thoracoscopy or, for distal tumors, via laparoscopy.

METHODS

We assessed our experience with the different approaches in a total of 25 patients (n = 13 minimally invasive approach and n = 12 open surgery). Enucleation of the SMT was the basic surgical principle; the choice of the approach was based on the preference of the surgeon.

RESULTS

Compared to open surgery, the minimally invasive approach reduced pulmonary complications, hospital stay, and postoperative wound-related pain. The operating time was the same for both approaches.

CONCLUSION

Minimally invasive approaches are suitable for the surgical enucleation of submucosal esophageal tumors. Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic techniques are recommended as standard procedures in experienced centers.

Minimally invasive techniques for resection of benign esophageal tumors

With the emergence of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), laparoscopy and thoracoscopy have become feasible and safe alternatives to open surgical procedures in the management of esophageal leiomyomas. The indications for MIS resection of leiomyomas at our institution include the presence of symptoms, confirmation of pathology to exclude malignancy, tumors greater than 2 cm in size or tumors that show evidence of growth. Our approach of choice is right video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for tumors of the thoracic esophagus and laparoscopy for tumors of the intra-abdominal esophagus or gastroesophageal junction. A detailed description of these surgical approaches is outlined in the following chapter. At our institution, nine patients, 8 males and 2 females with a mean age of 54 years (range 42-67 years) had a minimally invasive surgical resection of an esophageal leiomyoma between 1995 and 2001. The surgical approaches included right VATS enucleation (6) and laparoscopic enucleation (3). There were no major morbidities, including postoperative leaks or mortalities. The mean hospital stay was 2.3 days. All tumors were benign leiomyomas with average size of 2.73 cm (range 0.9-8 cm) and there was no evidence of recurrence at a mean follow-up of 10 months. Video-assisted enucleation has shown in our institution, as well as in others, that the procedure can be performed safely with low mortality and morbidity. A VATS or laparoscopic approach to the removal of leiomyomas should be the treatment of choice in centers experienced in minimally invasive surgery.