title: Totally laparoscopic trans-hiatal gastroesophagectomy for benign diseases of the esophago-gastric junction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively present our initial experience with totally laparoscopic transhiatal esophagogastrectomies for benign diseases of the cardia and distal esophagus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laparoscopic gastric mobilization and tubularization combined with transhiatal esophageal dissection and intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis accomplished by a circular stapler was done in 3 patients. There were 2 females and 1 male patient with a mean age of 73 +/- 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients were operated on due to benign stromal tumor of the cardia and one patient had severe oesophageal peptic stenosis. Mean blood loss was 47 +/- 15 mL and mean operating time was 130 +/- 10 min. There were no cases that required conversion to laparotomy. All patients were extubated immediately after surgery. Soft diet intake and ambulation times were 5.1 +/- 0.4 d and 2.6 +/- 0.6 d, respectively. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications and there were no perioperative deaths. The average length of hospital stay was 9.3 +/- 3 d. All procedures were curative and all resected margins were tumor free. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was 18 +/- 8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic transhiatal esophago-gastrectomy for benign lesions has good effects and proves feasible and safe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Institute of Laparoscopic Surgery, Maison de Santé Protestante, Bagatelle Hospital, Route de Toulouse 203, Talence-Bordeaux 33401, France. info@ils-chirurgie.com
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dulucq
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wintringer
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajna
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome