title: [Comparison of perioperative outcomes and lymphadenectomy after thoracoscopic esophagectomy in semi prone position and open esophagectomy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thoracoscopic esophagectomy has gained worldwide popularity. This study compared the perioperative outcomes and lymphadenectomy after thoracoscopic esophagectomy in semi prone position and open esophagectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two consecutive patients after thoracoscopic esophagectomy were compared with 62 patients who underwent open esophagectomy. Outcomes included surgical time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, 30-day mortality, complications and gained lymph nodes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean length of hospital stay of the thoracoscopic group was 12.4 ± 7.4 days, and 13.6 ± 6.7 days in the open esophagectomy group (P > 0.05). The median total operation time and median thoracic operation time were 270 and 130 min, the median total blood loss and median thoracic blood loss were 300 and 180 ml in the thoracoscopic group, while the results in open esophagectomy group were 290, 150 min and 300, 180 ml. The median total operation time and median thoracic operation time were of statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). But there were no significant differences between the two groups in total blood loss and thoracic blood loss (P > 0.05) . The numbers of obtained lymph nodes in the thoracoscopic group and open esophagectomy group were 20.5 and 16.9 (P < 0.01). Among them, the median numbers of mediastinal lymph nodes in the thoracoscopic group and open esophagectomy group were 12.4 and 8.8, the left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes were 1.8 and 1.0, and the right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes were 2.9 and 1.2 (P < 0.01 for all). There were 8 positive recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (12.9%) in the thoracoscopic group, while 5 in the open esophagectomy group (8.1%, P > 0.05). There were no peri-operative period death, heavy bleeding, or thoracic gastric fistula in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in semi prone position may achieve good surgical field exposure, therefore, to make esophagectomy, lymph node dissection and digestive tract reconstruction possible. These findings suggest that with further technical refinement, thoracoscopic esophagectomy may have the upper hand on reducing postoperative complications and performing mediastinal lymph node dissection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China. Email: liqiang1907@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Tianpeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000601:surgery; D008482:Mediastinum; D061646:Operative Time; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016684:Prone Position; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; D013906:Thoracoscopy