title: Comparative study of minimally invasive versus open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in a single cancer center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to minimize the injury reaction during the surgery and reduce the morbidity rate, hence reducing the mortality rate of esophagectomy, minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was introduced. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing minimally invasive or open esophagectomy (OE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 176 consecutive patients, who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) between January 2009 and August 2013 in Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, were retrospectively reviewed. In the same period, 142 patients who underwent OE, either Ivor Lewis or McKeown approach, were selected randomly as controls. The clinical variables of paired groups were compared, including age, sex, Charlson score, tumor location, duration of surgery, number of harvested lymph nodes, morbidity rate, the rate of leak, pulmonary morbidity rate, mortality rate, and hospital length of stay (LOS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of harvested lymph nodes was not significantly different between MIE group and OE group (median 20 vs. 16, P = 0.740). However, patients who underwent MIE had longer operation time than the OE group (375 vs. 300 minutes, P < 0.001). Overall morbidity, pulmonary morbidity, the rate of leak, in-hospital death, and hospital LOS were not significantly different between MIE and OE groups. Morbidities including anastomotic leak and pulmonary morbidity, inhospital death, hospital LOS, and hospital expenses were not significantly different between MIE and OE groups as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MIE and OE appear equivalent with regard to early oncological outcomes. There is a trend that hospital LOS and hospital expenses are reduced in the MIE group than the OE group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Juwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Zuyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Baihua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Yousheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Shugeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Dali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Zhishan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Yushun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Liangze
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Feiyue
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Guiyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Kelin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. Email: prof. hejie@263. net.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D016896:Treatment Outcome