title: Prevention of postoperative chylothorax with thoracic duct ligation during video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is a feasible technique that has been shown to be safe for the treatment of esophageal cancer. Chylothorax remains a challenging and potentially life-threatening postoperative complication of MIE. In this retrospective series, we evaluated the results of preventive intraoperative thoracic duct ligation in patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 2009 to June 2010, 70 video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomies for cancer of the esophagus (group A) were performed without prophylactic thoracic duct ligation. Since June 2010, 65 patients (group B) with esophageal cancer underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy with routine ligation of the thoracic duct during the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intraoperative or postoperative complications directly related to thoracic duct ligation were recorded. Postoperative chylothorax occurred in seven patients in group A and in one patient in group B (P = 0.0375).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that thoracic duct ligation during video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for cancer is an effective and safe method for prevention of postoperative chylothorax.
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Changjiang Route 10#, Daping, Chongqing, 400042, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Guo
authors: Yun-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Zhao
authors: Yao-Guang
authors: YG
authors: Jiang
authors: Hui-Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Niu
authors: Xue-Hai
authors: XH
authors: Liu
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Ma
authors: Ru-Wen
authors: RW
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D057868:Anastomotic Leak / Q000209:etiology; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008026:Ligation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013897:Thoracic Duct; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects*