Initial experience with modified en bloc robot-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy for thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

The feasibility and safety of en bloc robot-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy (RAMIE) need to be verified. Forty-seven patients who received conventional RAMIE and 31 who received modified en bloc RAMIE at Henan Cancer Hospital were included in the study cohort. We compared the perioperative outcomes of conventional RAMIE and modified en bloc RAMIE. Compared with the conventional RAMIE group, the en bloc RAMIE group yielded a higher total number of lymph nodes (p=0.001), especially thoracic lymph nodes (p=0.025) and left recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lymph nodes (p=0.005). No notable differences were found in the rate of total complications (p=0.663) or RLN injury (p=0.891) between the two groups. The preoperative and postoperative serological indicators were comparable between the two groups. Modified en bloc RAMIE was safe and feasible for patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and improved lymph node dissection, especially thoracic and left RLN lymph node dissection.