title: Combined laparoscopic-thoracoscopic esophagectomy and intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomsis.
abstract: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 112 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma and gastro-esophageal anastomosis in right thoracic cavity from October 2011 to June 2013. First, the gastric tube was created with the aid of linear stapling device by removing the stomach and dissecting lymph nodes under laparoscopy and making a 3-4 cm incision through the subxiphoid area in the upper abdomen. Second, the thoracic esophagus and lymph nodes were dissected during thoracoscopic procedure. Gastric tube was inserted into the chest cavity and placed in the posterior mediastinum. The thoracic gastro-esophageal anastomosis was stapled with a circular stapler. Combined laparoscopic-thoracoscopic esophagectomy and intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis is technically feasible and safe, with minimized trauma, less operative blood loss and quick recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Meiqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Mingfa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Xiangxiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Jieyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Xianliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
keywords: Laparoscopic; esophageal carcinoma; esophagectomy; esophagogastric anastomosis; thoracoscopic