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Objective: To explore the related risk factors of diaphragmatic hernia after thoraco-laparoscopic minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy (MIME). Methods: This is a retrospective controlled study. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent MIME at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, from January 2016 to December 2023. A total of 619 patients were included. There were 423 males and 196 females, aged (63.7±7.6) years (range: 37 to 87 years). The diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia after MIME was made based on clinical symptoms and CT scans. Patients were divided into two groups: the diaphragmatic hernia group ( n =16) and the non-diaphragmatic hernia group ( n =603). Clinical data, including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, tumor location (upper, middle, and lower thoracic esophagus), preoperative neoadjuvant therapy history, and tumor staging, were collected and analyzed. A BMI of 25 kg/m² and age of 65 years were used as cutoff values. The χ ² test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the data between the two groups, and Logistic regression was employed for risk factor analysis. The diaphragmatic hernia group and non-diaphragmatic hernia group were matched in a 1∶3 ratio with a caliper value of 0.02 by propensity score matching. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and compared using the log-rank test for between-group differences. Results: The proportion of patients with diaphragmatic hernia after MIME who underwent surgical treatment was 6/16. Statistically significant differences were observed between the diaphragmatic hernia group and the non-diaphragmatic hernia group in terms of age ( χ ²=16.057, P <0.01), BMI ( χ ²=16.057, P <0.01), and tumor location ( χ ²=12.048, P =0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age ≥65 years ( OR =1.236, P =0.023) and BMI<25 kg/m² ( OR =0.810, P <0.01) were independent risk factors for the development of diaphragmatic hernia after MIME. Survival analysis showed no significant difference in long-term survival between patients with and without diaphragmatic hernia after MIME ( P =0.187), and whether patients with diaphragmatic hernia underwent surgery was not associated with long-term prognosis ( P =0.560). Conclusion: Patients with BMI<25 kg/m 2 and age ≥65 years are independent risk factors for diaphragmatic hernia after MIME. The occurrence of diaphragmatic hernia is not associated with prognosis, and whether patients with diaphragmatic hernia undergo surgery does not affect the prognosis.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major complication after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and the significance of elevated postoperative lactate levels in the occurrence of AL is unclear., Patients and Methods: We evaluated 583 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Serum lactate levels were measured immediately after esophagectomy and in the morning on postoperative days (POD) 1, 2, 3, and 4. We also evaluated the factors associated with AL using multivariable logistic regression analysis., Results: AL occurred in 8.9% (n = 52) of patients, and the median onset of AL was POD10 (interquartile range: 7-13). The lactate levels immediately after esophagectomy through POD3 were significantly higher in patients with AL than in those without AL. A further multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that elevated lactate level on POD2 was an independent predictor of the occurrence of AL (odds ratio 11.9; 95% confidence interval: 4.04-17.3; P < 0.001). Severe AL was significantly more frequent in the higher lactate patients (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in patients with AL with higher lactate, the onset tended to be earlier (P = 0.054), and the treatment duration of AL was significantly longer compared with those with lower lactate (P = 0.037)., Conclusions: AL was significantly associated with elevated postoperative lactate levels. Elevated lactate levels on POD2 could be significant predictor of AL development after esophagectomy., Competing Interests: Disclousure: The authors declare no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced this study. All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and later versions. Informed consent or an equivalent was obtained from all patients., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Purpose: In the care for oesophageal cancer, symptom assessment was mainly carried out from the perspective of the total score using scales, which ignored individual differences in symptom experience among patients. To provide personalized symptom management, individual differences among patients with oesophageal cancer warranted further investigation. The objective was to identify the different symptom profiles of patients after oesophagectomy and examine the risk factors affecting the symptom profiles., Methods: It was a descriptive study with cross-sectional design. A total of 258 participants were recruited. Latent profile analysis was used to identify different profile of symptoms, and multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors., Results: Three distinct profiles were identified: the "complex symptoms group" (32.6%), the "throat symptoms group" (25.2%), and the "single fatigue group" (42.2%). Patients with higher prognostic nutritional index (OR = 0.797), higher resilience scale score (OR = 0.907), living in city or town (OR = 0.396), and stage II cancer (OR = 0.413) were more likely to be classified as "single fatigue group". Patients with higher prognostic nutritional index (OR = 1.233) and cervical anastomosis (OR = 4.586) tended to be classified as the "throat symptoms group". Unemployed patients (OR = 0.204) tended to belong to the "complex symptoms group," whereas patients with higher prognostic nutritional index were less likely to be in the "complex symptoms group.", Conclusion: Individual differences existed in the symptom experience of patients undergoing surgery for oesophageal cancer. Precise symptom management programs should be designed and implemented according to the individualized characteristics of the patient's symptom experience to promote patients' recovery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chylothorax is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication after esophageal cancer resection. This study aims to investigate the impact of a strategy combining preoperative three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of contrast-enhanced chest CT with olive oil ingestion on the incidence of chylothorax following esophageal cancer resection., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 357 patients who underwent esophageal cancer resection in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from January 2019 to June 2024. Among them, 179 patients who underwent preoperative 3D reconstruction of contrast-enhanced chest CT combined with oral olive oil administration were assigned to the 3D reconstruction group, while 158 patients who did not receive these interventions served as the control group. The primary outcome measures included the incidence of chylous leakage and related perioperative outcomes., Results: All patients in both groups underwent surgeries successfully without any perioperative deaths. Compared to the control group, the 3D reconstruction group exhibited a significant decrease in the incidence of postoperative chylothorax (0% versus 8.2%, P < 0.001). The visualization rate of the thoracic duct during surgery was higher in the 3D reconstruction group compared to the control group (93.85% vs. 48.73%). Furthermore, patients in the 3D reconstruction group had less intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.003), shorter postoperative hospital stays (P = 0.003), and reduced chest drainage in the first three postoperative days (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: This study reveals that preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction of chest using enhanced CT allows for the anticipation of thoracic duct anatomy. Additionally, the combination of preoperative oral olive oil administration significantly enhances the intraoperative visualization of the thoracic duct. This integrated strategy effectively reduces the incidence of postoperative chylothorax, demonstrating promising clinical application prospects., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study has been reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital, approval number: 2024 − 556.All patients signed the informed consent form for surgery before surgery. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To investigate symptom burden and symptom cluster trajectories in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer., Methods: A convenience sample of 210 patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery for esophageal cancer was included from July to December 2023. The symptoms of the patients were evaluated at the following time points: preoperatively (T0), 1-3 days postoperatively (T1), 7 days postoperatively (T2), 1 month postoperatively (T3), and 3 months postoperatively (T4). This was done via the Chinese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Scale and the Supplementary Questionnaire for Perioperative Esophageal Cancer Symptoms. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify symptom clusters, and latent class growth modeling was used to analyze the trajectories of each different symptom cluster., Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed the presence of four symptom clusters: mood-related symptom clusters (worst at T1, T2, and T4), gastrointestinal symptom clusters (worst at T0), fatigue-related symptom clusters (worst at T3), and surgery-related symptom clusters, with cumulative variance contribution rates of 64.34%, 62.29%, 68.23%, 70.29%, and 63.82%, respectively. The latent category growth model identified the existence of 2-3 distinct trajectories in each symptom cluster., Conclusion: This study identified 4 distinct symptom clusters in patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery. The mood-related and gastrointestinal symptom clusters exhibited worsening and recurrence within 7 days post-surgery, necessitating particular attention. A subset of patients in the fatigue-related symptom cluster showed a tendency for continued exacerbation, emphasizing the need for long-term monitoring. Furthermore, symptom management strategies can be prioritized based on the severity of the symptom clusters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Context: Gastric and oesophageal cancers are common. They are also expected to increase in incidence in the next few years and are characterized by poor prognosis. Surprisingly, whereas the incidence of severe anxiety and depression is high in patients with gastric and oesophageal cancers, the influence of symptoms of depression and anxiety on postoperative complications has barely been explored., Methods: In a retrospective study based on a prospectively collected database, 629 cancer patients were enrolled. Symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores) and sociodemographic and medical information were collected immediately after diagnosis and before any treatment. The surgical approach (i.e. gastrectomy or oesophagectomy) and postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were collected after surgery., Results: After controlling for known medical predictors (i.e. surgical strategy, alcohol and tobacco consumption, American Society of Anaesthesiologists classification physical status score) of postoperative complications, no effect of symptoms of depression or anxiety was detected., Discussion: The observed results are surprising given the literature. However, several potential arguments can be put forwards regarding methods and measures, controlling variables, and conceptual distinctions. Despite the absence of significant results, this topic should be more deeply investigated by applying methodological and conceptual adjustments.

Objectives: To address the short-term clinical outcomes of patients postesophagectomy who underwent telehealth care following surgery. The primary objective was to compare the frequency of emergency department admission between telehealth and in-person cohorts. Secondary objectives included comparing the frequency of endoscopies and clinic visits, as well as reasons for emergency department admission., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent esophagectomy between March 2018 and May 2022. Patients attending telehealth (phone or video call) surgical follow-up visits, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were compared with a pre-COVID cohort of patients attending standard in-person care. Demographic data, clinical and disease characteristics, and hospital visit data within 6 months of operation were collected. This included surgical clinic visits, endoscopies, and emergency department admissions., Results: There were 168 patients who underwent esophagectomy and had follow-up care between March 2018 and May 2022; 76 telehealth and 92 in-person. Patients attending telehealth appointments had significantly fewer emergency department admissions (0.45 vs 0.79, P = .037) and more endoscopy visits (1.37 vs 0.91, P = .020) compared with patients attending in-person visits. The number of follow-up surgical clinic visits did not differ between the groups. The most frequent reasons for emergency visits for the telehealth cohort included dysphagia, feeding-tube problems, and failure to thrive. For the in-person cohort, feeding-tube complications, inflammation/infection, and failure to thrive were the most common reasons., Conclusions: A program of virtual follow-up, with integrated in person visits and endoscopy as required, is feasible and safe for following patients postesophagectomy., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dumping syndrome occurs frequently after esophageal cancer surgery, but the reported prevalence varied across previous studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the prevalence of dumping syndrome after esophageal cancer surgery, particularly exploring the sources of heterogeneity in previous studies., Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases, supplemented by hand-search of reference lists, through March 2023. Random-effects meta-analysis estimated the average prevalence of dumping syndrome after esophageal cancer surgery. Heterogeneity across studies was examined by the I 2 statistic and Cochran's Q test., Results: Among the 2949 articles retrieved from the databases, 16 articles (15 cohort studies and 1 randomized controlled trial) met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of dumping syndrome ranged 0-74% in these studies, showing high heterogeneity (I 2 = 99%, P < 0.01), with the pooled prevalence of 27% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14-39%). The pooled prevalence in the three studies using specialized questionnaires was 67% (95% CI 60-73%), with reduced heterogeneity (I 2 = 43%, P = 0.17). The prevalence also varied by year of publication, study population, and length and completeness of follow-up., Conclusions: Our findings revealed that dumping syndrome is common after esophageal cancer surgery. The varying prevalence across previous studies was probably owing to differences in measurement of dumping syndrome. Using specific patient reported outcome questionnaires is recommended for future investigations on dumping syndrome after esophageal cancer surgery., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This pictorial review aims to provide a structured approach to the interpretation of post esophagectomy CT by reviewing the major esophagectomy surgeries and conduit reconstructions, along with their associated complications at key anatomical landmarks. This paper combines an image rich experience and evidence-based approach to common and rare complications. The paper begins with an overview of the conventional Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and the expected postoperative imaging appearance (with separate detailed tables on additional surgical reconstructions), followed by a focused review of various complications at specific anatomical sites in a systematic fashion. By the conclusion of this review, radiologists will be equipped to employ a systematic approach to post-esophagectomy CT interpretation, confidently identifying both common and uncommon complications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER).)

Objective: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of the effects of postoperative complications (PCs) on survival following esophagectomy using the restricted mean survival time (RMST) analysis., Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Medline, including articles published up to July 2024. Data were reconstructed from Kaplan-Meier curves, and the difference in RMST (RMSTD) and the RMST/restricted mean time loss (RMTL) ratios were calculated to examine the effects of PCs on overall survival., Results: A total of 12 articles, including 7925 patients, met the inclusion criteria. RMSTD estimates indicate that patients with overall PCs survived an average of 0.04 years shorter (RMSTD = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.06, -0.03) than those without PCs at the 1-year follow-up and 0.39 years shorter (RMSTD = -0.39, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.22) at the 5-year follow-up. Patients with anastomotic leaks survived an average of 0.34 years shorter (RMSTD = -0.34, 95% CI: -0.49, -0.19), and patients with pulmonary complications survived an average of 0.63 years shorter (RMSTD = -0.63, 95% CI: -0.81, -0.45) at the 5-year follow-up. Additionally, RMTL ratios were estimated to be 1.21 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.31) for overall PCs, 1.19 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.28) for anastomotic leaks, and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.36, 1.73) for pulmonary complications at the 5-year follow-up, respectively., Conclusions: Our findings quantified the annual negative impact of PCs of esophageal cancer on overall patient survival following esophagectomy. Increased efforts are needed to enhance prevention, early screening, and timely treatment for complications, particularly for patients with pulmonary complications., (© 2025 The Author(s). Thoracic Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Postoperative survival of esophageal cancer patients has improved with advances in technology and treatment modalities. However, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) often affects the esophagus together with the head and neck regions, with second primary head and neck cancer (SPHNC) adversely influencing the patients' quality of life. Therefore, patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) should be carefully followed up postoperatively. This study evaluated the risk of developing SPHNCs after an esophagectomy for ESCC., Methods: Patients with ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy from January 2008 to December 2017 from two tertiary medical centers, Taipei Veteran General Hospital and Kaohsiung Veteran General Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. SPHNC development was documented according to the anatomic region and the cumulative incidence rate and risk factors were analyzed., Results: The median follow-up period of the 435 patients included in our study was 48.5 months [interquartile range (IQR) 16.7-92.4 months]. Among the ESCC patients after curative esophagectomy, younger age <50 [hazard ratio 4.13, 95% CI: 2.53-6.75, p < 0.001) was the only independent factor for developing SPHNCs in the multivariable analysis. The cumulative incidence rate of SPHNCs of patients aged <50 years old was 14.3%, 22.1%, and 34.2% after 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively., Conclusions: There was a high risk of secondary cancer after ESCC in the upper aerodigestive tract, especially the head and neck regions; therefore, active surveillance is strongly recommended, especially in younger patients., (© 2024 International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).)

Esophageal cancer (EC) ranks as the 7th most prevalent form of cancer and the 6th leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Neoadjuvant therapy, encompassing neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, has shown promise in reducing the staging of EC and mitigating the risk of early systemic spread. This study seeks to assess the safety and viability of implementing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in conjunction with radical esophagectomy surgery for Vietnamese patients diagnosed with locally advanced EC. Safety was evaluated based on the incidence of grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events, while feasibility was assessed through indicators such as pathological complete response, major pathological response, and R0 resection rates. The study analyzed data from 30 patients, following specific inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics analysis revealed a participant cohort entirely composed of males, wherein 83.3% were identified as smokers, with tumors predominantly located in the middle (46.7%) and lower (53.3%) regions of the thoracic esophagus. The predominance of clinical stages II and III was observed. The nCRT protocol resulted in a substantial reduction in dysphagia score, with a statistically significant P < .001. The median duration from the conclusion of radiation treatment to surgery was 62 days, with a median operative time of 302 minutes and a median estimated blood loss of 189 mL. Surgical complications primarily included anastomotic leakage and pneumonia, occurring in 23.3% and 16.7% of cases, respectively. R0 resection was achieved in 29 (96.7%) patients, with 43.4% attaining pathological complete response and 56.7% demonstrating tumor complete response. The study's outcomes emphasize the safety and feasibility of employing esophagectomy subsequent to nCRT in Vietnamese patients, as evidenced by the absence of mortality, low complication rates, and favorable surgical results. It also suggests the potential advantages of utilizing a lower daily Gy dose for enhanced safety and considering squamous cell carcinoma as a specific criterion for nCRT., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2025 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: The relationship between patient nutritional, immune, and inflammatory status is linked to tumor progression and prognosis. However, there are limited studies on the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after surgery based on the comprehensive indicators of these factors., Aim: To develop and validate a novel nomogram based on a nutritional immune-inflammatory status (NIIS) score for predicting postoperative outcomes in ESCC., Methods: This retrospective study examined 829 patients with ESCC who underwent radical surgery between June 2016 and June 2020, with 568 patients in the training cohort and 261 patients in the validation cohort. We incorporated comprehensive indicators related to nutrition, immunity, and inflammation to develop the NIIS score, using LASSO regression. Subsequently, a nomogram combining the NIIS score and other clinicopathological parameters was developed and validated using calibration curves, time-dependent area under curves, and decision curve analysis., Results: We identified eight indicators that constitute the NIIS score. High-risk scores emerged as an independent risk factor for overall survival [training set HR 2.497 (1.802, 3.458), P < 0.001]. A NIIS nomogram for personalized prognostic prediction was developed by integrating the NIIS score with clinicopathological variables, yielding enhanced predictive value relative to individual indicators and the UICC/TNM staging system., Conclusion: The NIIS score provides strong predictive value for postoperative outcomes in ESCC, thus offering a valuable tool for clinical decision-making., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most important complications that occurs after upper gastrointestinal surgery, registering rates of 20-30% after esophagectomy. The role of systemic inflammatory biomarkers to predict anastomotic leaks is controversial and needs systematization., Methods: A systematic review based on the PRISMA guidelines criteria was performed. PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were queried using MESH Terms and All Fields key words to identify studies investigating a range of immune-inflammatory factors in predicting AL., Results: Twenty-four studies were included in this review. The total number of included patients was 5903, ranging in each study from 42 to 612. The included studies reported patients that underwent different techniques of esophagectomy (Ivor Lewis, McKeown, Orringer or thoracoabdominal esophagectomy) and 23 out of 24 studies included patients that underwent neoadjuvant treatment. While different biomarkers at different timepoints were analyzed, most studies have indicated postoperative biomarkers, between day 3 and day 5 to reach statistical significance., Conclusions: Systemic inflammatory biomarkers represent potential risk stratification and predicting tools for AL after esophageal surgery, but more studies need to be conducted to validate their clinical utility., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Competing interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is a widely accepted treatment for esophageal cancer, yet it is associated with a significant risk of surgical adverse events (SAEs), which can compromise patient recovery and long-term survival. Accurate preoperative identification of high-risk patients is critical for improving outcomes., Aim: To establish and validate a risk prediction and stratification model for the risk of SAEs in patients with MIE., Methods: This retrospective study included 747 patients who underwent MIE at two centers from January 2019 to February 2024. Patients were separated into a train set ( n = 549) and a validation set ( n = 198). After screening by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, multivariate logistic regression analyzed clinical and intraoperative variables to identify independent risk factors for SAEs. A risk stratification model was constructed and validated to predict the probability of SAEs., Results: SAEs occurred in 10.2% of patients in train set and 13.6% in the validation set. Patients with SAE had significantly higher complication rate and a longer hospital stay after surgery. The key independent risk factors identified included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a history of alcohol consumption, low forced expiratory volume in the first second, and low albumin levels. The stratification model has excellent prediction accuracy, with an area under the curve of 0.889 for the training set and an area under the curve of 0.793 for the validation set., Conclusion: The developed risk stratification model effectively predicts the risk of SAEs in patients undergoing MIE, facilitating targeted preoperative interventions and improving perioperative management., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Esophageal cancer is a relatively common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Patients with esophageal cancer show a high incidence of aspiration after surgery, which has a serious impact on their prognosis and rehabilitation. Nevertheless, while existing and past endeavors have concentrated on enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for esophageal cancer, the necessity of preventing pneumonia caused by postoperative aspiration remains to be adequately addressed. We compiled the presently published literature and offer the latest developments on the causes of postoperative aspiration in patients with esophageal cancer, screening methods, and swallowing assessment tools. Relevant published papers were collected through a search of the China national knowledge infrastructure, Ovid EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and PubMed databases. There are various methods for assessing swallowing function after surgery for esophageal cancer. Clinically, it is necessary to select appropriate assessment tools for the swallowing function. Research indicates that the application of risk prediction models can better assess aspiration in patients after esophageal cancer surgery, bridge gaps in qualitative analysis, and alter the clinical outcomes of patients. Predictive models for dysphagia screening in patients after esophagectomy have significant clinical advantages and exhibit good clinical applicability., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the study was conducted without any affiliations that could be perceived as conflicts of interest regarding commercial or financial matters., (Copyright © 2025 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

One risk factor for anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric reconstruction is excessive compression of the gastric tube at the thoracic inlet. In this study, we evaluated the effect of our modified procedure to reduce AL by placing the esophagogastric anastomosis below the thoracic inlet. Between January 2008 and December 2022, 174 consecutive patients underwent subtotal esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric pull up, followed by circular stapler anastomosis in our hospitals. After January 2016, the gastric tube was pulled down to place the anastomosis below the suprasternal notch. Postoperative CT then measured the level of esophagogastric anastomosis (LEA). Comparing cases before and after revision (conventional group, n = 65 vs. test group, n = 109), AL was significantly reduced from 11 (16.9%) to 3 (2.8%) cases (P = 0.002). After propensity score matching, AL was observed in 14% (8/57) and 0% (0/57) cases in the conventional and test groups, respectively (P = 0.006). Smaller circular stapler size (P < 0.001), less intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001), and lower LEA (P < 0.001) were observed in the test group than in the conventional group. Multivariate analysis revealed that anastomotic procedure (OR [95%CI], 0.01[0.00-0.46], P = 0.008), and body mass index (OR [95%CI], 6.92[1.10-135.01], P = 0.038) were the independent risk factors for the development of AL. Our modified procedure to avoid compression of the gastric tube at the thoracic inlet is suggested to noninvasively reduce the risk of AL in the subtotal esophagectomy with retrosternal reconstruction., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Hospital readmission after surgery is a key quality indicator. This nationwide cohort study aimed to assess readmission rates following esophagectomy and gastrectomy for cancer and identify associated risk factors., Methods: Data were extracted from the Dutch Upper GI Cancer Audit (DUCA) for patients with esophagogastric cancer who underwent esophagectomy or gastrectomy with curative intent between January 2011 and June 2016. Logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for 30-day readmission., Results: In total, 5566 patients were included. Readmission within 30 days occurred in 483 of 3488 (13.8%) patients after esophagectomy and 243 of 2078 patients (11.7%) after gastrectomy. Both minor (Clavien Dindo 1-2) and major (Clavien Dindo ≥3) postoperative complications were independent predictors of readmission after esophagectomy (OR 2.99; 95%CI 2.23-4.02; p < 0.001 and OR 5.20; 95%CI 3.82-7.09; p < 0.001). Specific complications included pulmonary (OR 1.49; 95%CI 1.20-1.85; p < 0.001), gastrointestinal (OR 2.43; 95%CI 1.94-3.05; p < 0.001), and infectious (OR 2.27; 95%CI 1.60-3.22; p < 0.001). Prolonged length of stay (pLOS) was associated with higher readmission rates in patients without complications following esophagectomy (OR 1.91 95% CI 1.19-3.07; p = 0.008), but lower rates in those with complications (OR 0.65 95% CI 0.51-0.83; p < 0.001). For gastrectomy, postoperative complications were also linked to readmission (OR 3.18; 95%CI 2.30-4.40; p < 0.001), particularly gastrointestinal (OR 2.16; 95%CI 1.40-3.32; p < 0.001), and infectious (OR 3.80; 95%CI 2.53-5.71; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Readmission after esophagogastric resection is common, particularly among patients with both minor and major postoperative complications. Prolonged stay after esophagectomy impacts readmission risk differently based on the presence of complications., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.)

Esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy for esophageal cancer carry an inherent risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. Intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) may help prevent RLN damage, though evidence on its effectiveness is still limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of IONM during minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer. This SRMA followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines, with a registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022367916). Two independent authors conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases, screening studies on MIE for esophageal cancer using IONM. Case-control studies were included, focusing on the RLN palsy (RLNP) rate as the primary outcome. A total of 11 studies involving 1907 patients (IONM group: 752 patients; non-IONM group: 1155 patients) were included in the SRMA. IONM significantly reduced the incidence of RLNP (OR = 0.47, P < 0.001). Length of hospital stay (LOHS) and lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) rates were significantly reduced with IONM use. No significant differences were observed in anastomotic leak, chylothorax, total number of lymph nodes dissected, operation time, aspiration rates, or intraoperative blood loss. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of IONM for detecting RLN injury were 83.3% and 81%, respectively. IONM during MIE significantly reduces the incidence of RLNP, postoperative LRTI, and shortens the LOHS, without adding operative risks. Further research is needed to evaluate its long-term survival benefits and cost-effectiveness., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are evidence-based care improvement pathways which are perceived to expedite patient recovery following surgery. Their utility in the setting of oesophagectomy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of ERAS protocols on recovery following oesophagectomy compared to standard care. A systematic review was performed in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (Version 5.4). Six RCTs including 850 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Overall complication rate (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.35, Confidence Interval (CI): 0.21, 0.59, P < 0.0001), pulmonary complications (OR: 0.40, CI: 0.24, 0.67, P = 0.0005), post-operative length of stay (LOS) (OR -1.88, CI -2.05, -1.70, P < 0.00001) and time to post-operative flatus (OR: -5.20, CI: -9.46, -0.95, P = 0.02) favoured the ERAS group. There was no difference noted for anastomotic leak (OR: 0.55, CI: 0.24, 1.28, P = 0.17), cardiac complications (OR: 0.86, CI: 0.30, 2.46, P = 0.78), gastrointestinal complications (OR: 0.51, CI: 0.23, 1.17, P = 0.11), wound complications (OR: 0.85, CI: 0.28, 2.58, P = 0.78), mortality (OR: 1.37, CI: 0.26, 7.4, P = 0.71), and 30-day re-admission rate (OR: 1.29, CI: 0.30, 5.47, P = 0.73) between ERAS and standard care groups. ERAS implementation improved post-operative complications, LOS, and time to flatus following oesphagectomy. These results support the robust adoption of ERAS in patients indicated to undergo oesphagectomy., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.)

Background: The wound healing effects of a specialized amino acid supplement containing calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, L-arginine, and L-glutamine (HMB/Arg/Gln) have been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of HMB/Arg/Gln in the perioperative management of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 131 patients who underwent esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer between January 2016 and November 2023. Postoperative infectious complications (PICs) were compared between patients who received HMB/Arg/Gln for 7 days before surgery (n = 95) and those who did not (control group, n = 36)., Results: Among the 111 male and 20 female patients (median age 68 years, range 38-84 years), stage I disease was found in 37 patients, stage II in 26, stage III in 61, and stage IVa in 7. Of the 131 patients, 36 (27.5%) had PICs, with PICs occurring in 20 (21%) of the HMB/Arg/Gln group and 16 (44.4%) of the control group. The PIC rate was significantly lower in the HMB/Arg/Gln than in the control group (p = 0.007). Propensity score matching analysis showed lower rates of anastomotic leakage (5.5% vs. 22.2%; p = 0.04) and Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher PICs (5.5% vs. 27.8%; p = 0.011) in the HMB/Arg/Gln than in the control group. The healing time for anastomotic leakage was shorter in the HMB/Arg/Gln (18 days, range 7-25 days) than in the control group (25 days, range 21-56 days) (p = 0.033)., Conclusions: HMB/Arg/Gln supplementation was associated with reduced risk of anastomotic leakage and PIC severity following esophagectomy., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.)

Objective: The efficacy and safety of transcervical inflatable mediastinoscopic esophagectomy (TIME) in the treatment of esophageal cancer are unclear. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TIME treatment for esophageal cancer and to compare it with thoracoscopic assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (TAMIE) for the treatment of esophageal cancer., Methods: A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to retrieve articles published up to January 2024 to comparatively assess studies of TIME and TAMIE. Meta-analysis was performed using randomized/fixed-effects models and heterogeneity was assessed., Results: A total of 819 patients were included in the nine studies herein. Among them, 409 patients with esophageal cancer underwent mediastinoscopy-assisted esophagectomy, and 410 patients with esophageal cancer underwent thoracolaparoscopy-assisted esophagectomy. There was no statistical difference between the TIME and TAMIE groups in intraoperative bleeding, incidence of anastomotic fistula, chylothorax, postoperative bleeding, arrhythmia, postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. In addition, the operative time in the TIME group, 3-day postoperative induced flux, postoperative hospitalization time, number of lymph node dissection, and incidence of pulmonary complications were smaller than those in the TAMIE group, and the differences were all statistically significant. However, in terms of the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (including hoarseness), the TIME group was higher than the TAMIE group., Conclusion: TIME is a safe and feasible alternative to TAMIE for the treatment of resectable esophageal cancer, but further randomized studies are needed to better assess the long-term benefits of TIME compared with TAMIE., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not Applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Publisher’s note: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affifiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To assess the impact of the definition of the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS) on mortality in esophageal cancer (EC) patients, postesophagectomy, within a Chinese cohort and to validate the effectiveness of a new GLIS framework in oncology., Methods: We performed an observational real-world cohort study in a single center at Daping Hospital of the Army Medical University in China, spanning from December 2014 to July 2022. We used the combined definition of muscle mass and muscle strength in a new GLIS framework for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Potential covariates were identified through univariate and multivariate analyses. The association between GLIS-defined sarcopenia and mortality was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models. We also conducted stratified analyses to assess the stability of multivariable Cox models., Results: A total of 520 EC patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 48.7 months. A total of 229 EC patients (44.0%) were identified with GLIS-defined sarcopenia. Patients with GLIS-defined sarcopenia had significantly worse overall survival in Kaplan-Meier curves (log-rank P = 0.015). Age; sex; tumor, node, metastasis stage; blood glucose; bleeding volume in operation; and operating time were introduced as covariates in a fully adjusted Cox model. Multivariable-adjusted Cox models revealed that GLIS-defined sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor for EC patients postesophagectomy (hazard ratio, 1.87, 95% confidence interval, 1.28-2.74, P = 0.001). Stratified analyses confirmed the stability of the relationship between GLIS-defined sarcopenia and mortality in EC patients., Conclusions: GLIS-defined sarcopenia is prevalent among Chinese EC patients and is linked to increased mortality risk postesophagectomy. This finding offers compelling evidence and serves as a valuable reference for the establishment of an operational definition of GLIS sarcopenia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest or competing interests. No conflicts of interest or competing interests exist in this study due to commercial or other associations. No conflicts of interest or competing interests exist with regard to the submission of this manuscript, and the manuscript was approved by all of the authors for publication. All authors confirm that the work described is original research that has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere in whole or in part., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Esophageal cancers that invade the submucosa (T1b) have increased risk for occult lymph node metastases. To avoid the morbidity and recovery from esophagectomy, patients with cT1bN0 tumors have been increasingly managed endoscopically. We hypothesized that tumor attributes could predict upstaging and outcome associated with surgical and endoscopic treatment. Our objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of esophagectomy across different cT1bN0 tumor attributes., Methods: Treatment-naïve patients who underwent endoscopic management or esophagectomy for a clinical stage cT1bN0 esophageal cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 in the National Cancer Database were identified. Factors associated with upstaging were assessed by logistic regression. Adjusted survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis of 528 propensity-matched pairs and accelerated time failure models, stratified across tumor attributes., Results: Overall, 1469 patients classified as cT1bN0 were identified; 926 underwent esophagectomy and 543 were managed endoscopically. In general, patients who were managed endoscopically were older (median, 71; interquartile range, 63-78; vs 66; interquartile range, 60-72; P < .0001) with smaller tumors compared with the patients who were managed with esophagectomy. Nodal upstaging was associated with lymphovascular invasion (odds ratio [OR], 6.88; confidence interval [CI], 4.39-10.77; P < .0001), poor tumor differentiation (OR, 2.77; CI, 1.30-5.88; P = .0081), and tumor size >1 cm (OR, 3.19; CI, 1.49-6.83, P = .0028). Overall survival was better among propensity-matched patients who underwent esophagectomy (5-year 68.4% vs 59.7% endoscopic, P < .001). However, accelerated time failure models suggested similar outcomes among patients with well-differentiated tumors managed surgically or endoscopically., Conclusions: Esophagectomy was associated with improved survival for cT1bN0 esophageal cancer; however, endoscopic treatment may achieve similar survival in patients with favorable tumor attributes. Further study is warranted., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the configuration of anastomotic doughnuts from upper gastrointestinal surgeries was associated with anastomotic leakage (AL)., Background: AL is a severe postoperative complication after upper gastrointestinal cancer surgeries. AL is associated with an increase in overall and cancer-related morbidity and mortality in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. New intraoperative biomarkers are needed to predict the risk of AL to implement early preventive measures., Materials and Methods: Anastomotic doughnuts from 102 patients undergoing surgery for esophageal or gastric cancer using circular staplers were examined. The minimal and maximal height and width of the anastomotic doughnuts were measured and correlated with the postoperative AL rate., Results: The AL rate in our study collective was 15,7 %. The minimal width (Wmin) of the oral and aboral anastomotic doughnuts was significantly lower in patients with AL compared to patients without AL (p = 0.002 and p = 0.041 respectively). The Wmin of the esophageal anastomotic doughnut was an independent risk factor for AL in the multivariable analysis (p = 0.034). Negative predictive values for the measurements of anastomotic doughnuts (Wmin) with regard to the risk of AL were higher than for the commonly used postoperative biomarker C-reactive protein., Conclusion: Minimal anastomotic doughnut width was statistically significantly associated with AL. Thus, not only the evaluation of the completeness of the anastomotic doughnuts but also intraoperative measurements could be used to predict the risk of AL to initiate early preventive measures to prevent the development of AL and/or reduce AL-associated morbidity., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Serum albumin level is routinely screened during preoperative assessments as a biomarker for poor nutritional status and/or concurrent inflammation. In esophagectomy, while early postoperative hypoalbuminemia is associated with a higher risk of adverse surgical outcomes, the effects of preoperative hypoalbuminemia on esophagectomy outcomes were conflicting. This study aimed to examine the effect of preoperative hypoalbuminemia on 30-day outcomes following esophagectomy., Methods: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) esophagectomy targeted database from 2016 to 2022 was used. Patients with preoperative serum albumin <3.4 g/L were defined as having hypoalbuminemia. Patients with and without hypoalbuminemia were propensity-score matched (1:3 ratio) for demographics, baseline characteristics, neoadjuvant therapy, surgical approaches, tumor diagnosis, and pathologic staging of the malignancy. Thirty-day postoperative outcomes were examined., Results: There were 803 (10.24%) and 7046 (89.76%) patients with and without preoperative hypoalbuminemia who underwent esophagectomy, respectively. After propensity-score matching, all patients with hypoalbuminemia were matched to 2170 controls. After propensity-matching, patients with hypoalbuminemia had higher risks of mortality (4.48% vs 3.00%, P = 0.04), sepsis (14.94% vs 10.92%, P < 0.01), and bleeding requiring transfusion (21.30% vs 13.50%, P < 0.01). Also, patients with hypoalbuminemia had a higher rate of discharge not to home (42.65% vs 34.81%, P < 0.01) and longer LOS (12.69 ± 9.09 vs 11.39 ± 8.16 days, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Patients with preoperative hypoalbuminemia had increased risks of mortality and complications after esophagectomy. Thus, preoperative hypoalbuminemia could be a useful and cost-effective tool for preoperative risk stratification for patients undergoing esophagectomy, and correcting the underlying cause of hypoalbuminemia may help decrease the risk of adverse postoperative outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify whether nutritional status at admission affects enteral nutrition weaning 6 months after surgery in patients with esophageal cancer., Methods: This was a retrospective study of 81 patients who underwent subtotal esophageal cancer resection between April 2014 and February 2016. The survey items were as follows: 1) sex, 2) age, 3) presence or absence of family members living together, 4) clinical stage, 5) surgical procedure, 6) reconstructed organs, 7) nutritional status at admission, 8) presence or absence of postoperative complications (anastomotic leakage, chylothorax, and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis), and 9) presence or absence of treatment other than surgery (chemo- or radiotherapy)., Results: The enteral nutrition withdrawal rate after 6 months was 15.5% in the malnutrition group and 84.5% in the normal nutrition group (p = 0.007). In a comparison between groups with and without enteral nutrition after 6 months, a significant association was observed with surgical procedure, nutritional status at admission, and postoperative complications (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of discontinuing enteral nutrition 6 months later were 5.692 (hazard ratio: 1.545-20.962) for malnutrition on admission and 11.921 (hazard ratio: 3.449-41.207) for complications., Conclusion: Regardless of the presence or absence of treatment other than surgery, preoperative nutritional improvement is beneficial for increasing postoperative oral intake.

Background: Cricothyrotomy is a widely performed potentially life-saving treatment to secure an airway in emergencies. It is also a pneumonia-preventing treatment to secure an expectorant route in patients with difficulty self-expelling sputum; however, its safety and usefulness remain unclear. Thus, we conducted a nationwide survey of cricothyrotomy., Methods: We retrospectively collected and analyzed cricothyrotomy data from the institutions certified by the Japan Broncho-Esophagological Society or the Japanese Esophageal Society. Ultimately, 116 facilities responded to the survey and the present study included 1001 patients from 26 facilities who underwent cricothyrotomies from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2021., Results: Cricothyrotomy was performed for sputum suctioning after esophagectomy or other surgical procedures in 945 (94.4%) cases and for emergency airway clearance in 48 (4.8%) cases. Complications during puncture were observed in 12 (1.2%) cases. We found significantly fewer complications during puncture for sputum suction (1.0%) compared with emergency airway clearance (4.2%) (p = 0.002), and also at the condition after esophagectomy (0.5%) compared with other surgical procedures (7.8%) (p < 0.001). Complications after puncture were observed in 45 (4.5%) cases, and we found significantly fewer complications after puncture at the condition after esophagectomy (4.2%) compared with other surgical procedures (11.8%) (p = 0.032). There were no significant differences in the type of kit used for complications during and after the puncture., Conclusions: Cricothyrotomy for prophylactic sputum suctioning after esophagectomy was safer compared to emergency airway clearance. However, future studies should verify the efficacy of cricothyrotomy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical statement: This retrospective study was performed under the approval of each institution’s committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and later versions. Patients were allowed to opt out of this study through public announcements published by each institution. All institutions applied for and obtained study approval from their respective institutional review boards. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this study and have no grant support for this work., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japan Esophageal Society.)

Background: The role of early oral feeding (EOF) following esophagectomy remains debated. This study evaluates whether postoperative EOF improves patients' quality of life., Methods: A comprehensive search was performed across eight databases to identify relevant studies. The effects of continuous variables were assessed using the mean difference (MD). The effects of dichotomous variables were assessed using the relative risk (RR)., Results: Seven studies were included in the analysis. EOF significantly improved postoperative overall quality of life [MD = 9.64, 95% CI (6.11, 13.16), p  < 0.001], dysphagia [MD = -7.37, 95% CI (-14.32, -0.42), p  = 0.040], and eating difficulty [MD = -6.72, 95% CI (-10.62, -2.82), p  < 0.001]. However, no significant differences were observed in postoperative reflux [MD = -5.90, 95% CI (-12.52, 0.73), p  = 0.080], esophageal pain [MD = -1.86, 95% CI (-5.51, 1.78), p  = 0.320], anastomotic leakage [RR = 0.70, 95% CI (0.37, 1.35), p  = 0.290], and pulmonary infection [RR = 0.44, 95% CI (0.15, 1.35), p  = 0.150]., Conclusion: EOF after esophagectomy appears to improve patients' quality of life; however, these findings are constrained by the limited number and quality of studies. Further research is needed to validate these results.

Background: Lymphadenectomy around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is an essential part of curative surgery for esophageal cancer. Although several single-center studies have shown that intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) can avoid RLN palsy, this has not been confirmed in a large-scale multicenter study. This study used a national database to evaluate whether IONM can reduce postoperative RLN palsy during minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer., Methods: We retrieved data of patients with esophageal cancer who underwent 3-field thoracoscopic or robotic MIE with cervical anastomosis with IONM(+) (502 patients) and without IONM(-) (4353 patients) from April 2020 to March 2022 from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan. We used propensity score-matching analysis to compare the frequency of postoperative RLN palsy and respiratory complications between the IONM(+) group and IONM(-) group., Results: The postoperative RLN palsy rate was significantly lower in the IONM(+) than IONM(-) group (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13-0.46). The respiratory complication rate was also significantly lower in the IONM(+) than in the IONM(-) group (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.97). The anesthesia time was significantly longer in the IONM(+) group (regression coefficient, 60.1 minutes; 95% CI, 44.2-76.9 minutes). The length of postoperative hospitalization tended to be shorter in the IONM(+) than in the IONM(-) group (regression coefficient, -1.39 days; 95% CI, -3.91 to 1.14)., Conclusions: This national cohort study showed that IONM during 3-field MIE for esophageal cancer was associated with a reduction of postoperative RLN palsy and respiratory complications., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Early postoperative reflux (PR) can compromise anastomotic healing after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) and poses a risk for aspiration. Anastomotic insufficiency is the most threatening surgical complication. We present the protective method of pre-emptive active reflux drainage (PARD) with simultaneous enteral feeding. We report our experience with this new safety concept in esophageal surgery in a cohort of 43 patients., Materials and Methods: For PARD we use a double lumen open porous film drainage (dOFD). To create the dOFD, the gastric tube of a Trelumina probe (Freka®Trelumina, Fresenius) is coated with a double-layered open-pore drainage film (Suprasorb®CNP drainage film, Lohmann & Rauscher) over a length of 25 cm. The dOFD is endoscopically inserted into the tubular stomach intraoperatively after completion of the anastomosis. Continuous negative pressure is applied with an electronic pump (-125 mm Hg). The PR is continuously aspirated completely and the stomach and anastomotic region are decompressed. At the same time, nutrition is delivered via an integrated intestinal tube. Depending on the results of the endoscopic control after 5 days, PARD is either continued or terminated., Results: During the observation period (2017-2023), PARD was used in all patients (n = 43) with ILE. The healing rate under PARD was 100% and healing was observed in all anastomoses. No additional endoscopic procedures or surgical revisions of the anastomoses were required. The median duration of PARD was 8 days (range 4-21). We observed problems in the healing of the anastomosis in 20 of 43 patients (47%) for whom we defined endoscopic criteria for at-risk anastomosis., Conclusions: Our results suggest that PARD has a strong protective effect on anastomotic healing and may reduce the risk of anastomotic insufficiency. The integrated feeding tube of the dOFD allows early postoperative enteral feeding while simultaneously applying negative pressure. PARD appears to prevent the negative consequences of impaired anastomotic healing., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: J. Müller, W. Schulze, B. Riefel, M. Reeh and C.T. Müller declare that there is no conflict of interest. G. Loske is a consultant to Lohmann& Rauscher GmbH & Co.KG. His patents for negative-pressure therapy have been transferred to Lohmann & Rauscher GmbH & Co.KG. There is a conflict of interest due to a financial participation in several negative-pressure therapy systems currently being launched on the market. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In conventional radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, there are concerns regarding the risk of esophageal thermal injury (ETI), such as esophageal ulcers and left atrioesophageal fistulas. While the incidence of ETI is generally considered low with cryoballoon ablation, some cases of esophageal ulcers and gastric hypoperistalsis have been reported. In this report, we present the case of a 77-year-old male patient with atrial fibrillation after esophageal surgery who had successfully undergone cryoballoon ablation without esophageal complications, despite the close proximity of the left atrium and gastric tube. Cryoballoon ablation achieved pulmonary vein isolation without complications in the upper alimentary tract.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the difference in perioperative outcomes and prognosis between neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma., Methods: The patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were identified from a prospectively maintained database at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University between January 2018 and March 2022. Propensity score matching was performed to balance the 2 groups., Results: A total of 124 patient pairs were enrolled in the final analysis. The complete pathological response rate (20.2% vs 29.0%, P = .140) was similar in the 2 groups, whereas the lower major pathological response rate (44.4% vs 61.3%, P = .011) was observed in the neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy group. Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy was associated with a lower rate of adverse events (42.7% vs 55.6%, P = .047) without additional postoperative complications (38.7% vs 35.5%, P = .693). The neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy group had lower distant metastasis (6.5% vs 16.1%, P = .027) and overall recurrence (11.3% vs 23.4%, P = .019) in the postoperative 1 year. Also, neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy was associated with better progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.32-0.77; P = .002). Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (univariable: hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37-0.82; P = .003; multivariable: hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.29-0.65; P < .001) was one of the independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival. The 2 groups had similar overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.36-1.09; P = .094) at the latest follow-up., Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy was safe and effective for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Further verification is needed in randomized controlled trials., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a modified incision line on the lesser curvature for gastric conduit formation during esophagectomy in enhancing the perfusion of gastric conduit as determined by indocyanine green fluorescence imaging and reducing the incidence of anastomotic leakage., Methods: A total of 272 patients who underwent esophagectomy at our institute between 2014 and 2022 were enrolled in this study. These patients were divided based on two different types of cutlines on the lesser curvature: conventional group (n = 141) following the traditional cutline and modified group (n = 131) adopting a modified cutline. Gastric conduit perfusion was assessed by ICG fluorescence imaging, and clinical outcomes after esophagectomy were evaluated., Results: The distance from the pylorus to the cutline was significantly longer in the modified group compared with the conventional group (median: 9.0 cm vs. 5.0 cm, p < 0.001). The blood flow speed in the gastric conduit wall was significantly higher in the modified group than that in the conventional group (median: 2.81 cm/s vs. 2.54 cm/s, p = 0.001). Furthermore, anastomotic leakage was significantly lower (p = 0.024) and hospital stay was significantly shorter (p < 0.001) in the modified group compared with the conventional group. Multivariate analysis identified blood flow speed in the gastric conduit wall as the only variable significantly associated with anastomotic leakage., Conclusions: ICG fluorescence imaging is a feasible, reliable method for the assessment of gastric conduit perfusion. Modified lesser curvature cutline could enhance gastric conduit perfusion, promote blood circulation around the anastomotic site, and reduce the risk of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical statements: This research was conducted in compliance with ethical standards and was approved by the Institutional Review Board for Clinical Research of the Tokai University School of Medicine. All participants provided informed consent prior to their involvement in the study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for pneumonia following esophagectomy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of perioperative inhaled tiotropium in patients with COPD undergoing esophagectomy., Methods: This open-label, randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 32 patients with COPD undergoing esophagectomy to conventional management or addition of tiotropium inhalation. The intervention group received tiotropium from two weeks before esophagectomy until the final evaluation one month after esophagectomy. The primary outcome was the incidence of pneumonia within 30 postoperative days. We also assessed the changes and the percentages from baseline in pulmonary function and walking distance of the incremental shuttle walking test to just before esophagectomy and final evaluation., Results: Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 18) and the intervention group (n = 14). Pneumonia was recorded in 4 (28.6%) and 5 (27.8%) patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively (risk difference: 0.8%, 95% confidence interval: - 30.6 to 32.2). The intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in pulmonary function and walking distance preoperatively. Further, the pulmonary function test was significantly better preoperatively in the intervention group than in the control group. Postoperatively, pulmonary function deterioration was more significant in the control group than in the intervention group., Conclusions: Preoperative tiotropium inhalation significantly improved pulmonary function and exercise tolerance in patients with COPD undergoing esophagectomy. The perioperative tiotropium did not reduce pneumonia after esophagectomy, but it may contribute to patient recovery by reducing postoperative pulmonary function deterioration., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.)

Introduction: The role of concurrent pyloroplasty with esophagectomy is unclear. Available literature on the impact of pyloroplasty during esophagectomy on complications and weight loss is varied. Data on the need for further pyloric intervention are scarce. Our study compares the clinical outcomes after esophagectomy with or without pyloroplasty and investigates the role of post-operative pyloric dilatation., Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 207) undergoing Ivor Lewis esophagectomy performed by two surgeons at our institution were included. Data on patient demographics, mortality rate, anastomotic leak, respiratory complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 3), anastomotic stricture rate, and percentage weight loss at 1 and 2 year post-operatively were evaluated. For weight analysis at 1 and 2 year post-operatively, patients were excluded if they had been diagnosed with recurrence or died prior to the 1 or 2 year timepoints., Results: Ninety-two patients did not have a pyloroplasty, and 115 patients had a pyloroplasty. There were no complications resulting from pyloroplasty. There was no significant demographic difference between the groups except for age. Mortality rate, anastomotic leak, respiratory complications, anastomotic stricture rate, and percentage weight loss at 1 and 2 years were statistically similar between the two groups. However, 14.1% of patients without pyloroplasty required post-operative endoscopic pyloric balloon dilatation to treat respiratory complications or gastroparesis. Subgroup analysis of patients without pyloroplasty indicated that patients requiring dilatation had greater weight loss at 1 year (15.8% vs 9.4%, p = 0.02) and higher respiratory complications rate (27.3% vs 4.7%, p = 0.038)., Conclusions: Overall results from our study that pyloroplasty during Ivor Lewis esophagectomy is safe and useful to prevent the need for post-operative pyloric dilatation., Competing Interests: Declarations. Disclosures: Doran, Digby, Green, Kelty, and Tamhankar have no conflicts of interests or financial ties to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Esophagectomy is a lifesaving procedure plagued by an anastomotic leak rate of 11%-35%. Ischemia is widely accepted to be the most significant risk factor for anastomotic leak. We hypothesized that the injection of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into an ischemic esophagogastric anastomosis would prevent leakage., Methods: We developed a leaking ischemic esophagogastric anastomosis model in pigs using indocyanine green and the Elevision device to quantify perfusion. Anastomoses created using a gastric conduit with a relative perfusion of 50%-60% produced an anastomosis that consistently leaked (n = 3) compared to nonischemic controls (n = 3). We then injected either human (n = 2) or porcine (n = 2) ASCs around an ischemic anastomosis. We analyzed clinical outcomes including postoperative sepsis, weight loss, and disruption of the anastomosis and histopathology as well as immunohistochemistry., Results: All of the ischemic controls (3/3, 100%), as well as the xenograft human ASC-injected experimental group (2/2, 100%), became septic postoperatively and were found to have an anastomotic breakdown or disruption on necropsy. However, in the porcine allograft ASC-injected experimental group, the animals did well, with none of the subjects experiencing postoperative sepsis, and none were found to have disrupted anastomoses on necropsy. Histopathology revealed improved apposition of the anastomosis and immunohistochemistry revealed improved epithelization and submucosal fibrosis of the porcine ASC group compared to ischemic and human ASC groups., Conclusions: Allogenic ASCs prevented anastomotic leakage of esophagogastric anastomosis in a porcine ischemic esophagectomy model., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between preoperative cystatin C levels and the risk of serious postoperative complications in esophageal cancer (EC) patients, utilizing advanced machine learning (ML) methodologies., Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study, involving 524 EC patients from December 2014 to July 2022. ML models, including logistic regression (LR) and multilayer perceptron (MLP), were applied to investigate the relationship between cystatin C and the serious postoperative complications. The predictive value of cystatin C was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Based on a restricted cubic spline (RCS) method, the potential nonlinear association was scrutinized., Results: The morbidity of serious postoperative complications was 8.78%. Bleeding volume, operating time, NRS2002 score, PONS score, and cystatin C were significantly associated with serious postoperative complications. The MLP model demonstrated superior predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.775, 95% CI: 0.701-0.849) compared to the LR model (AUC = 0.714, 95% CI: 0.630-0.798) and cystatin C alone (AUC = 0.612, 95% CI: 0.526-0.699). High cystatin C level independently predicted serious postoperative complications in EC patients. A positive and linear association was found between cystatin C and serious complications., Conclusion: This research uncovers a notable correlation between cystatin C and the severe complications in EC patients after esophagectomy. Employing ML techniques offers a robust method for forecasting patient outcomes and emphasizes the potential of cystatin C as a predictive biomarker in medical practice., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The authors certify that the ethical guidelines for publishing have been followed. National and international research ethics guidelines were followed, including the Deontological Code of Ethics and the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All patients provided written consent for the use of their data, and this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Daping Hospital, Army Medical University. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: This study aimed to report the initial experiences of 115 patients who underwent robotic thoracic surgery using the da Vinci single-port robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical)., Methods: Robotic thoracic surgery using the da Vinci single-port robotic surgical system was performed on 115 patients between November 2020 and June 2023. Patient characteristics, intraoperative outcomes, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed retrospectively., Results: The type of surgeries included thymectomy, mediastinal mass excision, anatomical pulmonary resection (including lobectomy and segmentectomy), esophagectomy, and enucleation of esophageal submucosal tumors in 41, 13, 54, 5, and 2 patients, respectively. The mean total operative time and chest tube duration for different procedures were as follows: thymectomy, 152.9. ± 6.7 minutes and 1.2 ± 0.5 days; mediastinal mass excision, 93.3 ± 26.5 minutes and 1.0 ± 0 days; anatomical pulmonary resection, 187.2 ± 55.8 minutes and 2.5 ± 1.5 days; esophagectomy, 485 ± 111.9 minutes and 12 ± 4.6 days; and enucleation of esophageal submucosal tumors, 170 ± 30 minutes and 5.5 ± 0.5 days, respectively. Conversion to a thoracotomy or sternotomy was not required. Conversion to video-assisted thoracic surgery occurred in 1 patient, and an additional port was applied in 2 patients. Two patients experienced postoperative complications greater than grade IIIa., Conclusions: Robotic thoracic surgery using the da Vinci single-port robotic surgical system is feasible and safe in various fields of thoracic surgery, including complex procedures such as anatomical pulmonary resection and esophagectomy. More complex thoracic surgeries can be performed with the continuous advancement and innovation of instruments in robotic systems., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rationale and Objectives: Surgery in combination with chemo/radiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Even after the introduction of minimally invasive techniques, esophagectomy carries significant morbidity and mortality. One of the most common and feared complications of esophagectomy is anastomotic leakage (AL). Our work aimed to develop a multimodal machine-learning model combining CT-derived and clinical data for predicting AL following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer., Material and Methods: A total of 471 patients were prospectively included (Jan 2010-Dec 2022). Preoperative computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate celia trunk stenosis and vessel calcification. Clinical variables, including demographics, disease stage, operation details, postoperative CRP, and stage, were combined with CT data to build a model for AL prediction. Data was split into 80%:20% for training and testing, and an XGBoost model was developed with 10-fold cross-validation and early stopping. ROC curves and respective areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and F1-scores were calculated., Results: A total of 117 patients (24.8%) exhibited post-operative AL. The XGboost model achieved an AUC of 79.2% (95%CI 69%-89.4%) with a specificity of 77.46%, a sensitivity of 65.22%, PPV of 48.39%, NPV of 87.3%, and F1-score of 56%. Shapley Additive exPlanation analysis showed the effect of individual variables on the result of the model. Decision curve analysis showed that the model was particularly beneficial for threshold probabilities between 15% and 48%., Conclusion: A clinically relevant multimodal model can predict AL, which is especially valuable in cases with low clinical probability of AL., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Minimally invasive esophagectomies, including robot-assisted procedures, have demonstrated superiority over traditional open surgery. Despite the prevalence of transhiatal and transthoracic approaches, cervical access is less common in minimally invasive esophageal surgery. Advancements in robotic systems, such as the da Vinci Single Port (SP), enable controlled transcervical extrapleural mediastinoscopic access, potentially reducing pulmonary complications and extending surgical options to patients with comorbidities. The da Vinci SP robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy (SP-RACE) employs an SP and laparoscopic approach, demonstrating feasibility with comparable lymphadenectomy and recurrent nerve palsy rates to transthoracic methods. This technique, performed for the first time in Europe at the University Hospital Mainz, involves a transcervical SP phase that allows for effective mediastinal dissection and esophageal mobilization. Despite technical challenges due to limited space, robotic systems enhance controlled access and eliminate arm collision. The da Vinci SP platform's advantages include improved triangulation, fewer interferences, and better control of instruments in confined spaces. This novel approach shows promise for patients with high esophageal tumors and those unsuitable for transthoracic surgery, warranting further investigation into its clinical utility and reproducibility., Competing Interests: P.P.G. serves as a proctor for Intuitive Surgical. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Objective: Chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy is a standard treatment option for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC). Esophagectomy is a high-risk procedure, and recent evidence suggests select patients may benefit from omitting or delaying surgery. This study aims to compare surgery versus active surveillance for LAEC patients with complete clinical response (cCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT)., Methods: Decision analysis with Markov modeling was used. The base case was a 60-year-old man with T3N0M0 esophageal cancer with cCR after nCRT. The decision was modeled for a 5-year time horizon. Primary outcomes were life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY). Probabilities and utilities were derived through the literature. Deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed using ranges from the literature with consideration for clinical plausibility., Results: Surgery was favored for survival with an expected life-years of 2.89 versus 2.64. After incorporating quality of life, active surveillance was favored, with an expected QALY of 1.70 versus 1.56. The model was sensitive to probability of recurrence on active surveillance (threshold value 0.598), probability of recurrence being resectable (0.318), and disutility of previous esophagectomy (-0.091). The model was not sensitive to perioperative morbidity and mortality., Conclusions: Our study finds that surgery increases life expectancy but decreases QALY. Although the incremental change in QALY for either modality is insufficient to make broad clinical recommendations, our study demonstrates that either approach is acceptable. As probabilities of key factors are further defined in the literature, treatment decisions for patients with LAEC and a cCR after nCRT should consider histology, patient values, and quality of life., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement Dr Kidane discloses receiving speaker and advisory board honoraria from AstraZeneca, Merk, Bristol-Meyers-Squibb, and Medtronic. Dr Kidane is the associate statistical editor for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major complication after esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction. This retrospective study aims to reveal the factors in prevention of AL and in reduction of its severity., Methods: Enrolled in this study were the 183 patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy followed by narrow gastric tube reconstruction at Wakayama Medical University Hospital between January 2018 and March 2023. Evaluation of blood perfusion using indocyanine green began in September 2020., Results: AL occurred in 42 patients (22%) and did not occur in 141 patients (78%). Patient characteristics were not significantly different between patients with and without AL. Evaluation of blood perfusion of the gastric tube was performed in 69 of the 183 patients (37.7%), and after its introduction the rates of AL decreased from 28.0% to 14.4%. Blood perfusion was less evaluated in the AL group than in the non-AL group (23.8% vs. 41.8%, P=0.034). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that non-evaluation of blood perfusion using indocyanine green (odds=3.115) was an independent risk factor for AL. For the patients with AL, active interventions (eg, tube insertion into the gastric tube through the nose or fistula, embolization of cyanoacrylate) were performed significantly more often in the group without evaluation of blood perfusion than in the group with evaluation. Without evaluation of blood perfusion, there was significantly longer time from onset to resumption of diet and significantly longer postoperative hospital stays., Conclusions: Evaluation of qualitative blood perfusion can lead to both risk reduction and prevention of severe AL after narrow gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy is a common complication in esophagectomy and its main risk factor is reportedly intraoperative procedure associated with surgeons' experience. We aimed to improve surgeons' recognition of the RLN during robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) model., Methods: We used 120 RAMIE videos from four institutions to develop an AI model and eight other surgical videos from another institution for AI model evaluation. AI performance was measured using the Intersection over Union (IoU). Furthermore, to verify the AI's clinical validity, we conducted the two experiments on the early identification of RLN and recognition of its location by eight trainee surgeons with or without AI., Results: The IoUs for AI recognition of the right and left RLNs were 0.40 ± 0.26 and 0.34 ± 0.27, respectively. The recognition of the right RLN presence in the beginning of right RLN lymph node dissection (LND) by surgeons with AI (81.3%) was significantly more accurate (p = 0.004) than that by surgeons without AI (46.9%). The IoU of right RLN during right RLN LND recognized by surgeons with AI (0.59 ± 0.18) was significantly higher (p = 0.010) than that by surgeons without AI (0.40 ± 0.29)., Conclusions: Surgeons' recognition of anatomical structures in RAMIE was improved by our AI system with high accuracy. Especially in right RLN LND, surgeons could recognize the RLN more quickly and accurately by using the AI model., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has preventive effects against postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after upper abdominal surgery. However, its impact on diaphragmatic function has not been evaluated. This study investigated the effect of preoperative IMT on diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and prevention of PPCs for patients with esophageal cancer., Methods: This study was an unblinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Patients with thoracic or abdominal esophageal cancer scheduled for esophagectomy were randomized into the incentive spirometry (IS) or IMT group. During preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, IS or IMT intervention was performed. The inspiratory resistance of the IMT group was consistently set at 50% maximal inspiratory pressure. The primary outcome was the amount of change in DE evaluated with ultrasonography, and the secondary outcome was the incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher PPCs., Results: This study recruited 42 patients. Among these patients 21 were randomized into the IS or IMT group, and 2 patients dropped out from the study. Finally, 40 patients were included in this analysis. The DE of the IMT group increased significantly after the intervention. The IMT group had significantly larger DE changes than the IS group. Of the 39 patients analyzed for postoperative outcome, 5 experienced grade II PPCs. The IMT group had a lower incidence of PPCs than the IS group., Conclusions: Patients with thoracic and abdominal esophageal cancer scheduled for surgery who had preoperative IMT have increased DE, which may have an important role in prevention of PPCs., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: The optimal diameter for endoscopic dilatation of anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy has not been elucidated. This study aimed to determine the optimal target diameter for endoscopic dilatation for anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy., Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent endoscopic dilatation for anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy between January 2009 and June 2024 at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital were reviewed. The stricture recurrence rate, dilatation-free period, and complications according to the dilatation diameter were collected and included in the analysis., Results: We analyzed 149 endoscopic dilatations (diameters from 10 to 18 mm) in 43 patients. The median follow-up period was 47 months (range, 5-157). The stricture recurrence rate was 72.5%, and the median dilatation-free period was 60 days. The stricture recurrence rate was the lowest (41.7%, p = 0.022), and the overall dilatation-free period was the longest (median 490 days, p = 0.171) in dilations up to 16.5 mm. The stricture recurrence rate was higher in dilations up to 18 mm than in those up to 16.5 mm (54.5% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.331). Moreover, the bleeding rate was higher in patients with dilations up to 18 mm (18.2% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.205)., Conclusion: In patients with anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy, dilation up to 16.5 mm showed a lower stricture recurrence rate, longer dilation-free period, and less postprocedural bleeding than those of dilation up to 18 mm., Competing Interests: Declarations. Disclosures: Dae Gon Ryu, Cheol Woong Choi, Su Jin Kim, Su Bum Park, Jin Ook Jang, Woo Jin Kim, and Bong Soo Son have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: Here is a case of chyle leak post McKeown esophagectomy. Lymphoscintigraphy with 99m Tc-filtered sulfur colloid revealed tracer accumulation along the thoracic duct and in the left hemithorax. Precise localization of leak was done by SPECT-CT imaging. This enabled timely surgical intervention and reduced further morbidity. This procedure is not only precise but also cost-effective as compared with the other available investigations., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: After esophagectomy, anastomotic strictures disturb food passage and increase the incidence of aspiration pneumonia. Multiple endoscopic balloon dilatations are required for stricture treatment. Therefore, long-term quality of life and nutritional status may be adversely affected. This study aimed to identify risk factors for strictures after cervical triangular anastomosis using a gastric conduit among patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE)., Methods: A total of 188 patients who underwent MIE for esophageal cancer between 2010 and 2020 at Kobe University Hospital were retrospectively examined. The incidence of strictures, number of dilatations for stricture, and time to stricture diagnosis were evaluated. Next, the potential independent risk factor for refractory strictures requiring more than 5 endoscopic balloon dilatations was clarified., Results: The study included 188 patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Anastomotic strictures were observed in 44 patients (23%). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly more common in patients with stricture than in patients without stricture (75% vs 58%, respectively; P = .041). The median number of endoscopic balloon dilatations was 5 (IQR, 1-31). Of note, 30 patients (68%) underwent their first dilatation within 3 months after MIE. In univariate and multivariate analyses, < 69 days from surgery to first endoscopic balloon dilatation was an independent risk factor for stricture requiring more than 5 endoscopic balloon dilatations after cervical triangular anastomosis in MIE (hazard ratio, 9.483; 95% CI, 2.220-54.274; P = .002)., Conclusion: Early postoperative anastomotic stricture might become refractory, and an appropriate treatment plan should be developed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the standard surgery to treat tumors and other conditions affecting the head of the pancreas. PD involves the division of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) and its branches, to allow for complete dissection of lymph nodes. However, PD in patients with prior esophageal resection presents challenges due to altered anatomy and risks compromising gastric tube vascularization. GDA preservation becomes crucial to avoid ischemia, although this may pose oncological risks by potentially leaving behind regional lymph nodes. This article reviews European surgical center experiences and techniques for PD in patients with prior esophageal surgery, focusing on short-term outcomes., Methods: We have collected all the experiences carried out in European surgical centers and evaluated the techniques applied for PD in patients who had prior esophageal surgery while analyzing short-term outcomes., Results: Eight patients from 5 European centers were identified. Six patients were diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, including one borderline case. Intraoperatively, the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) was preserved in all cases, with portal vein reconstruction required in only one instance due to tumor invasion. No ischemia or venous congestion of the gastric tube was observed during the surgical procedure. Post-operative complications that occurred included POPF type C in 1 (12.5 %), PPH type C in 1 (12.5 %). The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 21 [14-24]. with a median of 1.5 positive lymph nodes. R1 resection was present in 62.5 % of cases., Conclusion: Performing pancreaticoduodenectomy subsequent to Ivor Lewis esophagectomy is a technical challenge, but seems feasiable and safe in selected patients. GDA-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy emerges as a valuable and time-efficient variation of the conventional procedure, it can be considered oncologically appropriate, but studies confirming its long-term impact on radicality are still needed., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)