title: Combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic minimally invasive esophagectomy.
abstract: With the improvement in thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy (TLE), a minimally invasive approach, has attracted increasing attention as an alternative to open three-field esophagectomy. From June 2012 to October 2013, 90 patients underwent laparoscopic and thoracoscopic resection of esophageal carcinoma in our department. The VATS esophagectomy technique described here is the approach currently employed in the department of thoracic surgery at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital of China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Fuchun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Youyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cong
keywords: Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic; esophagectomy; minimally invasive