The clinical application and advancement of robot-assisted McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Robotic surgery systems,as emerging minimally invasive approaches,have been increasingly applied for the treatment of esophageal cancer because they provide a high-definition three-dimensional surgical view and mechanical rotating arms that surpass the limitations of human hands,greatly enhancing the accuracy and flexibility of surgical methods.Robot-assisted McKeown esophagectomy(RAME),a common type of robotic esophagectomy,has been gradually implemented with the aim of reducing postoperative complications,improving postoperative recovery and achieving better long-term survival.Multiple centers worldwide have reported and summarized their experiences with the RAME,and some have also discussed and analyzed its perioperative effects and survival prognosis compared with those of video-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy.Compared to traditional surgery,the RAME has significant advantages in terms of lymph node dissection although there seems to be no difference in overall survival or disease-free survival.With the continuous advancement of technology and the development of robotic technology,further development and innovation are expected in the RAME field.This review elaborates on the prospects of the application and advancement of the RAME to provide a useful reference for clinical practice.

Present situation of minimally invasive surgical treatment for early gastric cancer

Minimally invasive surgery is a kind of surgical operation,which is performed by using professional surgical instruments and equipment to inactivate,resect,repair or reconstruct the pathological changes,deformities and wounds in human body through micro-trauma or micro-approach,in order to achieve the goal of treatment,its surgical effect is equivalent to the traditional open surgery,while avoiding the morbidity of conventional surgical wounds.In addition,it also has the advantages of less trauma,less blood loss during operation,less psychological burden and quick recovery on patients,and these minimally invasive techniques provide unique value for the examination and treatment of gastric cancer patients.Surgical minimally invasive surgical techniques have developed rapidly and offer numerous options for the treatment of early gastric cancer(EGC):endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR),underwater EMR(UEMR),endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD),endoscopic full-thickness resection(EFTR),endoscopic submu-cosal excavation(ESE),submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection,laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery(LECS);Among them,EMR,EFTR and LECS technologies have a wide range of applications and different modific-ations have been derived from their respective surgical operations,such as band-assisted EMR(BA-EMR),conven-tional EMR(CEMR),over-the-scope clip-assisted EFTR,no-touch EFTR,the inverted LECS,closed LECS,and so on.These new and improved minimally invasive surgeries are more precise,specific and effective in treating different types of EGC.

Comparative Analysis of Safety and Effect of Minimally Invasive Esophageal Cancer Radical Resection and Conventional Thoracotomy for Esophageal Cancer

Objective:To compare the clinical effects of minimally invasive esophageal cancer radical resection and traditional esophageal cancer radical resection.Methods:200 cases of esophageal cancer radical resection were performed from July 2014 to July 2017 in our hospital.The cases were divided into experimental group and control group,82 cases in the experimental group and 118 cases in the control group.The experimental group was treated with minimally invasive esophageal cancer radical surgery,and the control group was treated with conventional thoracotomy.Record the comparison between the two groups:(1)surgical conditions,including the time of surgery,intraoperative blood loss,hospitalization time;(2)the number of lymph nodes cleaned;(3)the postoperative control group used conventional thoracotomy,including lung lesions,anastomotic fistula/narrow.Results:The parameters of operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospitalization time,and number of lymph nodes cleaned in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(p<0.05).In addition to pulmonary infection(p<0.05),there was no significant difference in the incidence of other complications between the experimental group and the control group(p>0.05).Conclusion:Minimally invasive esophageal cancer radical resection and conventional thoracotomy have good clinical effects in the treatment of esophageal cancer.Minimally invasive esophageal cancer radical surgery can effectively reduce intraoperative trauma and postoperative reaction,which is worthy of popularization and application.

Efficacy of hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy vs open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The first line treatment regimen for esophageal cancer is still surgical resection and the choice of surgical scheme depends on surgeon.Now the efficacy comparison of hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy(HMIE)and open esophagectomy(OE)is still controversial.AIM To compare the perioperative and postoperative outcomes of HMIE and OE in patients with esophageal cancer.METHODS PubMed,EMBASE,and Cochrane Library databases were searched for related articles.The odds ratio(OR)or standard mean difference(SMD)with a 95%confidence interval(CI)was used to evaluate the effectiveness of HMIE and OE.RESULTS Seventeen studies including a total of 2397 patients were selected.HMIE was significantly associated with less blood loss(SMD=-0.43,95%CI:-0.66,-0.20;P=0.0002)and lower incidence of pulmonary complications(OR=0.72,95%CI:0.57,0.90;P=0.004).No significant differences were seen in the lymph node yield(SMD=0.11,95%CI:-0.08,0.30;P=0.26),operation time(SMD=0.24,95%CI:-0.14,0.61;P=0.22),total complications rate(OR=0.68,95%CI:0.46,0.99;P=0.05),cardiac complication rate(OR=0.91,95%CI:0.62,1.34;P=0.64),anastomotic leak rate(OR=0.95,95%CI:0.67,1.35;P=0.78),duration of intensive care unit stay(SMD=-0.01,95%CI:-0.21,0.19;P=0.93),duration of hospital stay(SMD=-0.13,95%CI:-0.28,0.01;P=0.08),and total mortality rates(OR=0.70,95%CI:0.47,1.06;P=0.09)between the two treatment groups.CONCLUSION Compared with the OE,HMIE shows less blood loss and pulmonary complications.However,further studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term oncologic outcomes of HMIE.

Network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on esophagectomies in esophageal cancer:The superiority of minimally invasive surgery

BACKGROUND Previous meta-analyses,with many limitations,have described the beneficial nature of minimal invasive procedures.AIM To compare all modalities of esophagectomies to each other from the results of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)in a network meta-analysis(NMA).METHODS We conducted a systematic search of the MEDLINE,EMBASE,Reference Citation Analysis(https://www.referencecitationanalysis.com/)and CENTRAL databases to identify RCTs according to the following population,intervention,control,outcome(commonly known as PICO):P:Patients with resectable esophageal cancer;I/C:Transthoracic,transhiatal,minimally invasive(thoracolaparoscopic),hybrid,and robot-assisted esophagectomy;O:Survival,total adverse events,adverse events in subgroups,length of hospital stay,and blood loss.We used the Bayesian approach and the random effects model.We presented the geometry of the network,results with probabilistic statements,estimated intervention effects and their 95% confidence interval(CI),and the surface under the cumulative ranking curve to rank the interventions.RESULTS We included 11 studies in our analysis.We found a significant difference in postoperative pulmonary infection,which favored the minimally invasive intervention compared to transthoracic surgery(risk ratio 0.49;95%CI:0.23 to 0.99).The operation time was significantly shorter for the transhiatal approach compared to transthoracic surgery(mean difference-85 min;95%CI:-150 to-29),hybrid intervention(mean difference-98 min;95%CI:-190 to-9.4),minimally invasive technique(mean difference-130 min;95%CI:-210 to-50),and robot-assisted esophagectomy(mean difference-150 min;95%CI:-240 to-53).Other comparisons did not yield significant differences.CONCLUSION Based on our results,the implication of minimally invasive esophagectomy should be favored.

Modified McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: A retrospective study of 376 patients at a single institution

Objective:Minimally invasive esophagectomy(MIE)was first implemented in 1992 and various MIEs have been performed subsequently.The modified McKeown MIE that includes thoracoscopic and laparoscopic procedures with left neck anastomosis has been implemented in our institution since 2006.We herein report our first 5-year experience in 376 consecutive patients undergone the modified McKeown MIE for esophageal cancer to evaluate perioperative outcomes and survival.Methods:A total of 376 patients underwent a modified McKeown MIE from March 2016 toMarch 2021 at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine.Patient demographics and perioperative outcomes were collected and assessed,and overall survival and disease-free survival were analyzed.Results:All procedures were completed successfully with no conversions to open surgery.The median operative time was 240 min,and the median blood loss was 100 mL.The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 29,the median number of harvested thoracic lymph nodes was 18,and of harvested abdominal nodes was 10.The 30-day mortality rate was 0.27%and complications occurred in 133(35.4%)patients.The median follow-up period was 19(1-60)months,and 244 patients completed more than 1 year of follow-up.The 1-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 79.5%and 73.8%,respectively.Conclusion:The modified McKeown MIE is safe and feasible for esophageal cancer,offering satisfactory perioperative outcomes and acceptable oncologic survival.

Comparison of the surgical outcomes of McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy and Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy for the treatment of middle esophageal cancer:A single-center retrospective study

Background:In China,the esophageal cancer is the most common tumor type,and the main treatment is still surgical treatment.Over the past decade,thoracic laparoscopy combined with esophageal cancer resection and neck anastomosis-McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy(MIE)has gained interest and known as a minimally invasive surgery for the middle esophageal cancer.However,the safety and operability of McKeown MIE remains to be confirmed clinically.The purpose of this article is to examine the clinical safety and operability of McKeown MIE,and compare the security and outcomes of McKeown MIE and Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.Materials and methods:The clinical data of 312 patients with middle esophageal cancer in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them,176 patients underwent Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and 136 patients underwent McKeown MIE.Patients'demographics and perioperative outcomes were comparable between the two groups.Results:There were no significant differences in terms of operative time,postoperative hospital stay,restore fluid diet time,pathology,tumor node metastasis staging between the two groups.In the McKeown MIE group,the intraoperative blood loss was less than that in the Ivor-Lewis group(116.54±80.99 ml vs 152.78±115.35 ml,p=0.001).The total number of lymph nodes and the number of lymph nodes dissection in bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves were more than those in the Ivor-Lewis group(30.04±14.08 vs 27.51±11.34,p=0.039;5.74±4.27 vs 1.80±2.68,p<0.001).There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications.The overall survival for the McKeown MIE group was higher than the Ivor-Lewis group(p=0.013)and no significant difference was found on disease-free survival.Conclusion:McKeown MIE is safe and operational for middle esophageal cancer,which is consistent with the principle of tumor radicalization.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for the treatment of esophageal cancer:a report of 81 cases

Objective To assess the feasibility and clinical efficacy of minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Methods From July 2007 to December 2009,eighty-one patients with esophageal cancer received combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy with anastomosis in the neck. All clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. Results The median operative

Plasma monocyte chemotactic protein-1 remains elevated after minimally invasive colorectal cancer resection

AIM: To investigate plasma Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 levels preoperatively in colorectal cancer(CRC) and benign patients and postoperatively after CRC resection.METHODS: A plasma bank was screened for minimally invasive colorectal cancer resection(MICR) for CRC and benign disease(BEN) patients for whom preoperative, early postoperative, and 1 or more late postoperative samples(postoperative day 7-27) were available. Monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1) levels(pg/mL) were determined via enzyme linked immuno-absorbent assay. RESULTS: One hundred and two CRC and 86 BEN patients were studied. The CRC patient's median preoperative MCP-1 level(283.1, CI: 256.0, 294.3) was higher than the BEN group level(227.5, CI: 200.2, 245.2; P = 0.0004). Vs CRC preoperative levels, elevated MCP-1 plasma levels were found on postoperative day 1(446.3, CI: 418.0, 520.1), postoperative day 3(342.7, CI: 320.4, 377.4), postoperative day 7-13(326.5, CI: 299.4, 354.1), postoperative day 14-20(361.6, CI: 287.8, 407.9), and postoperative day 21-27(318.1, CI: 287.2, 371.6; P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: Preoperative MCP-1 levels were higher in CRC patients(vs BEN). After MICR for CRC, MCP-1 levels were elevated for 1 mo and may promote angiogenesis, cancer recurrence and metastasis.

Current status of minimally invasive surgery for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer(PC)is the most lethal cancer among digestive system cancers.Although the only way to radically cure PC is surgical resection,complex surgical procedures and severe post-operative complications lead to high mortality.In recent years,minimally invasive surgery has become more common for PC.Minimally invasive pancreatic resection(MIPR)with the laparoscopic or robotic method has shown its superiority compared with traditional surgery.However,increasing evidence indicates that the long-term or even short-term outcomes of MIPR for PC patients remain controversial.Moreover,the indications and learning curve of MIPR require further assessment.This review aims to discuss the progress in current MIPR,analyze the specific problems and obstacles in the development of MIPR,and try to standardize MIPR procedures and improve the outcomes of MIPR.

Endoscopic and surgical resection of T1a/T1b esophageal neoplasms: A systematic review

AIM: To investigate potential therapeutic recommendations for endoscopic and surgical resection of T1a/ T1b esophageal neoplasms. METHODS: A thorough search of electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed and Cochrane Library, from 1997 up to January 2011 was performed. An analysis was carried out, pooling the effects of outcomes of 4241 patients enrolled in 80 retrospective studies. For comparisons across studies, each reporting on only one endoscopic method, we used a random effects meta-regression of the log-odds of the outcome of treatment in each study. "Neural networks" as a data mining technique was employed in order to establish a prediction model of lymph node status in superficial submucosal esophageal carcinoma. Another data mining technique, the "feature selection and root cause analysis", was used to identify the most impor-tant predictors of local recurrence and metachronous cancer development in endoscopically resected patients, and lymph node positivity in squamous carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) separately in surgically resected patients. RESULTS: Endoscopically resected patients: Low grade dysplasia was observed in 4% of patients, high grade dysplasia in 14.6%, carcinoma in situ in 19%, mucosal cancer in 54%, and submucosal cancer in 16% of patients. There were no significant differences between endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the following parameters: complications, patients submitted to surgery, positive margins, lymph node positivity, local recurrence and metachronous cancer. With regard to piecemeal resection, ESD performed better since the number of cases was significantly less [coefficient: -7.709438, 95%CI: (-11.03803, -4.380844), P < 0.001]; hence local recurrence rates were significantly lower [coefficient: -4.033528, 95%CI: (-6.151498, -1.915559),P < 0.01]. A higher rate of esophageal stenosis was observed following ESD [coefficient: 7.322266, 95%CI: (3.810146, 10.83439), P < 0.001]. A significantly greater number of SCC patients were submitted to surgery (log-odds, ADC: -2.1206 ± 0.6249 vs SCC: 4.1356 ± 0.4038, P < 0.05). The odds for re-classification of tumor stage after endoscopic resection were 53% and 39% for ADC and SCC, respectively. Local tumor recurrence was best predicted by grade 3 differentiation and piecemeal resection, metachronous cancer development by the carcinoma in situ component, and lymph node positivity by lymphovascular invasion. With regard to surgically resected patients: Significant differences in patients with positive lymph nodes were observed between ADC and SCC [coefficient: 1.889569, 95%CI: (0.3945146, 3.384624), P<0.01). In contrast, lymphovascular and microvascular invasion and grade 3 patients between histologic types were comparable, the respective rank order of the predictors of lymph node positivity was: Grade 3, lymphovascular invasion (L+), microvascular invasion (V+), submucosal (Sm) 3 invasion, Sm2 invasion and Sm1 invasion. Histologic type (ADC/SCC) was not included in the model. The best predictors for SCC lymph node positivity were Sm3 invasion and (V+). For ADC, the most important predictor was (L+). CONCLUSION: Local tumor recurrence is predicted by grade 3, metachronous cancer by the carcinoma insitu component, and lymph node positivity by L+. T1b cancer should be treated with surgical resection.

Lymph node dissection in esophageal carcinoma: Minimally invasive esophagectomy vs open surgery

AIM: To compare lymph node dissection results of minimally invasive esophagectomy(MIE) and open surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients who underwent MIE or open surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from January 2011 to September 2014. Number of lymph nodes resected, positive lymph node(p N+) rate, lymph node sampling(LNS) rate and lymph node metastatic(LNM) rate were evaluated. R E S U LT S : A m o n g 4 4 7 p a t i e n t s i n c l u d e d, 1 2 3 underwent MIE and 324 underwent open surgery. The number of lymph nodes resected did not significantly differ between the MIE and open surgery groups(21.1 ± 4.3 vs 20.4 ± 3.8, respectively, P = 0.0944). The p N+ rate of stage T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the open surgery group was higher than that in the MIE group(16.3% vs 11.4%, P = 0.031), but no differences was observed for stages T1 and T2 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The LNS rate at left para-recurrent laryngeal nerve(RLN) site was significantly higher for open surgery than for MIE(80.2% vs 43.9%, P < 0.001), but no differences were noted at other sites. The LNM rate at left para-RLN site in the open surgery group was significantly higher than that in the MIE group, regardless of pathologic T stage. CONCLUSION: For stages T1 and T2 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the lymph node dissection result after MIE was comparable to that achieved by open surgery. However, the efficacy of MIE in lymphadenectomy for stage T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, particularly at left para-RLN site, remains to be improved.

Current status of esophageal cancer treatment

Esophageal cancer(EC) remains one of the most common and aggressive diseases worldwide.This review discusses some debates in the modern management of the disease.Endoscopic procedures for early cancer(T1a-b) are now embedded in routine care and the challenge will be to more accurately select patients for endoscopic resection with or without adjuvant therapy.Perioperative multimodal therapies are associated with improved survival compared to surgery alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer.However, there is no global consensus on the optimal regimen.Furthermore, histological subtype(adenocarcinoma vs.squamous cell cancer) plays a role in the choice for treatment.New studies are underway to resolve some issues.The extent of the lymphadenectomy during esophagectomy remains controversial especially after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.The ideal operation balances between limiting surgical trauma and optimizing survival.Minimally invasive esophagectomy and enhanced recovery pathways are associated with decreased morbidity and faster recovery albeit there is no consensus yet what approach should be used.Finally, immune checkpoint inhibitors present promising preliminary results in the novel treatment of advanced or metastatic EC but their widespread application in clinical practice is still awaited.

Influencing factors of postoperative early delayed gastric emptying after minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy

BACKGROUND The main clinical treatment for esophageal cancer is surgery. Since traditional open esophageal cancer resection has the disadvantages of large trauma, long recovery period, and high postoperative complication rate, its clinical application is gradually reduced. The current report of minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy(MIILE) is increasing. However, researchers found that patients with MIILE had a higher incidence of early delayed gastric emptying(DGE).AIM To investigate the influencing factors of postoperative early DGE after MIILE.METHODS A total of 156 patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer at Deyang People's Hospital were enrolled. According to the criteria of DGE, patients were assigned to a DGE group(n = 49) and a control group(n = 107). The differences between the DGE group and the control group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to further determine the influencing factors of postoperative early DGE. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to assess potential factors in predicting postoperative early DGE.RESULTS Age, intraoperative blood loss, chest drainage time, portion of anxiety score ≥ 45 points, analgesia pump use, postoperative to enteral nutrition interval, and postoperative fluid volume in the DGE group were higher than those in the control group. Perioperative albumin level in the DGE group was lower than that in the control group(P < 0.05). Age, anxiety score, perioperative albumin level,and postoperative fluid volume were independent factors influencing postoperative early DGE, and the differences were statistically significant(P <0.05). The ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC) foranxiety score was 0.720. The optimum cut-off value was 39, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.37% and 65.31%, respectively. The AUC for postoperative fluid volume were 0.774. The optimal cut-off value was 1191.86 mL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 65.3% and 77.6%, respectively. The AUC for perioperative albumin level was 0.758. The optimum cut-off value was 26.75 g/L,and the sensitivity and specificity were 97.2% and 46.9%, respectively.CONCLUSION Advanced age, postoperative anxiety, perioperative albumin level, and postoperative fluid volume can increase the incidence of postoperative early DGE.

Outcomes of curative esophageal cancer surgery in elderly:A metaanalysis

BACKGROUND An increasing number of older patients is undergoing curative,surgical treatment of esophageal cancer.Previous meta-analyses have shown that older patients suffered from more postoperative morbidity and mortality compared to younger patients,which may lead to patient selection based on age.However,only studies including patients that underwent open esophagectomy were included.Therefore,it remains unknown whether there is an association between age and outcome in patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy.AIM To perform a systematic review on age and postoperative outcome in esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy.METHODS Studies comparing older with younger patients with primary esophageal cancer undergoing curative esophagectomy were included.Meta-analysis of studies using a 75-year age threshold are presented in the manuscript,studies using other age thresholds in the Supplementary material.MEDLINE,Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published between 1995 and 2020.Risk of bias was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Primary outcomes were anastomotic leak,pulmonary and cardiac complications,delirium,30-and 90-d,and in-hospital mortality.Secondary outcomes included pneumonia and 5-year overall survival.RESULTS Seven studies(4847 patients)using an age threshold of 75 years were included for meta-analysis with 755 older and 4092 younger patients.Older patients(9.05%)had higher rates of 90-d mortality compared with younger patients(3.92%),(confidence interval=1.10-5.56).In addition,older patients(9.45%)had higher rates of in-hospital mortality compared with younger patients(3.68%),(confidence interval=1.01-5.91).In the subgroup of 2 studies with minimally invasive esophagectomy,older and younger patients had comparable 30-d,90-d and in-hospital mortality rates.CONCLUSION Older patients undergoing curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer have a higher postoperative mortality risk.Minimally invasive esophagectomy may be important for minimizing mortality in older patients.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery using laparoscopic instruments of the rectum:A review

Transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS)was first described in 2010 as an alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM).The TAMIS technique can be access to the proximal and mid-rectum for resection of benign and earlystage malignant rectal lesions and also used for noncurative intent surgery of more advanced lesions in patients who are not candidates for radical surgery.TAMIS has a shorter learning curve,reduced device setup time,flexibility in instrument use,and versatility in application than TEM.Also,TAMIS shows similar results in a view of the operation time,conversion rate,reoperation rate,and complication to TEM.For these reasons,TAMIS is an easily accessible,technically feasible,and cost-effective alternative to TEM.Overall,TAMIS has enabled the performance of high-quality local excision of rectal lesions by many colorectal surgeons.As TAMIS becomes more broadly utilized such as pelvic abscess drainage,rectal stenosis,and treatment of anastomotic dehiscence,the acquisition of appropriate training must be ensured,and the continued assessment and assurance of outcome must be maintained.

Minimal Invasive Surgery for Esophageal Cancer

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy is only established in some centers and a?ords a cervical anasto- mosis because intrathoracic anastomosis as a routine is technically too di?cult. Laparoscopic mobilisation of the stomach (gastrolysis) is an important contribution for minimal invasive surgery of esophageal cancer. This procedure reduces the stress of the two cavity operation for the patient and allows the construction of a comparable gastric conduit like by open surgery. The technique of laparoscopic gastrolysis as prepa- ration for transthoracic en bloc esophagectomy is described in detail and preliminary results are brie?y mentioned.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery to rescue anastomosis following leak after low anterior resection: A case report

Restorative low anterior resection(LAR)for rectal cancer carries a significant risk of anastomotic leak:One of the most feared complications in colorectal surgery.Operative management may include takedown of the anastomosis and end colostomy which,in some cases,is permanent.Other contemporary operative measures include over the scope clips and Endosponge.Recently,there have been case reports and a Society of American Endoscopic and Gastrointestinal Surgeons video on the novel use of transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS)in the management of anastomotic leak.We present a 59-year-old female who underwent LAR after declining radiotherapy for a bulky 9 cm rectal tumour 9-10 cm from the anal verge.Following clinical deterioration,computed tomography demonstrated an anastomotic leak communicating with a 5-cm pelvic collection containing gas.At laparoscopy,pus and faeculent material were washed from the pelvic cavity and drains were placed.Intra-operative endoscopy demonstrated a 7-8 mm dehiscence at the anastomosis.The defect(approximately 7 cm from the anal verge)was successfully closed using TAMIS and a running V-lock suture.The patient recovered well and was discharged home on post-operative day 20.In this case,a low colorectal anastomotic leak was successfully rescued with TAMIS.This novel technique may be useful in the armamentarium of colorectal surgeons experienced in TAMIS.

Short Term Operative Outcomes of Laparoscopic Gastric Mobilization in Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: Comparison with Hand Assisted Technique

Objective: This study evaluated the safety and operative utilities of the laparoscopic gastric mobilization compared with hand-assisted laparoscopic gastric mobilization. Patients and Methods: From April 2010 to November 2015, 125 patients with esophageal cancer have been performed laparoscopic mobilization;33 under hand-assisted laparoscopic gastric mobilization (HLG group) and 92 under laparoscopic gastric mobilization without hand-assisted technique (LG group). Preoperative data and surgical outcomes of 2 groups were compared. Results: Preoperative data were not significantly different except for BMI. Operation time in abdominal procedure of LG group is significantly longer than HLG group (P < 0.0001). Otherwise, the blood loss and number of dissected nodes of abdominal procedure was not significantly different in two groups. The perioperative blood transfusions were needed in 7 cases (21.2%) in HLG group and 25 (27.1%) in LG group. The postoperative complications and mortality within 30 days after surgery were not significantly different in two groups. The length of hospital stay was 29 days in HLG group and 31 days in HG group, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggested that laparoscopic gastric mobilization was safe technique and the short-term operative outcomes were comparable with that of hand-assisted laparoscopic mobilization.

Applications and prospects of robotic surgery in esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer(EC)is among the most common malignances and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide.Surgery plays a significant role in the multidisciplinary treatment for esophageal cancer.Recent advances in minimally invasive esophagectomy(MIE),including conventional thoracoscopic surgery and more recent robotic surgery,has been shown to improve short-term outcomes compared to open surgery.Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy(RAMIE)was first performed in 2003 and has been increasingly utilized in tertiary medical centers.Compared to conventional video-assisted minimally esophagectomy(VAMIE),RAMIE provides certain advantages such as increased magnification,three-dimensional visual clarity and better lymphadenectomy,with superior short-term outcome and at least equivalent oncological results.This review focuses on the techniques,benefits and obstacles in applications of robotic esophagectomy for treating EC,meanwhile discussing the future of robotic esophageal surgery.