[Intrathoracic thoracoscopic anastomosis in minimally invasive oesophageal resection - technical tips].
BACKGROUND
Minimally invasive oesophageal resections are being increasingly propagated. However, a leakage of the cervical anastomosis, occurring in up to 30 % of the cases, remains a severe disadvantage. By means of a case report, a new alternative technique of intrathoracic thoracoscopic anastomosis is described.


METHODS
After the customary laparoscopic abdominal performance of lymph-node dissection, a gastric conduit was performed in a 73-year-old patient with an adenocarcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal junction. After that the oesophagus had been resected thoracoscopically and an intrathoracic side-to-side/functional end-to-end anastomosis between the gastric conduit and oesophagus was performed with linear staplers.


RESULTS
There were no postoperative complications.


CONCLUSIONS
The intrathoracic thoracoscopic oesophagogastrostomy seems to be an oncologically adequate procedure that has less complications than the other laparoscopic-thoracoscopic techniques described so far. However, further studies are necessary to prove this conclusively.
Böttger
T
T
Klinik für Viszeral-, Thorax- und Gefässchirurgie, Zentrum für minimalinvasive Chirurgie, Klinikum Bremerhaven Reinkenheide, Germany. boettger@hgh-mail.de
Müller
M
M
Hermeneit
S
S
Rodehorst
A
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D013528:Surgical Staplers; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D016896:Treatment Outcome