title: Transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy.
abstract: Twenty patients with cancer of the esophagus and/or cardia underwent transmediastinal esophagectomy by blunt dissection without thoracotomy. Resection and reconstruction with gastroesophageal anastomosis was performed in a single stage in 13 cases. The tumor was nonresectable in seven cases, and instead a substernal bypass was performed. The technical maneuvers are described, and the results and possible advantages and disadvantages of the transhiatal method are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brenøe
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borgeskov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013908:Thoracotomy