Postoperative Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy Research Articles

Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in the left lateral decubitus position.

The use of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) in the prone position for esophageal cancer has been currently increasing worldwide. In future, as surgical-assisted robots become more widespread, it is estimated that only two methods of transthoracic approach will remain: RAMIE and open thoracotomy for thoracic esophageal cancer. RAMIE in the left lateral decubitus position (RAMIE-LLDP) has the same field of view as open thoracotomy, is safe in emergency situations, and provides education on open thoracotomy. Between September 2020 and April 2024, RAMIE-LLDP was performed in 64 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer. RAMIE-LLDP was performed with the operating table rotated and tilted 45° to the ventral side under artificial pneumothorax. The hand-control setting of the surgical-assist robot system was reversed left to right when the Patient Cart was rolled from the same direction as the RAMIE in the prone position. The mean total surgery and console times during the thoracic procedure were 254-min overall and 225min in the last 24 cases and 195-min overall and 178-min in the last 24 cases, respectively. The mean amount of blood loss was 203.4g overall and 28.3g in the last 24 cases. Postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy with Clavien-Dindo classification (CD) was ≥ 2 in six patients (9.4%). Postoperative pneumonia with CD ≥ 2 was observed in 11 patients (17.2%). Conversion to open thoracotomy was observed in three patients (4.7%). In all three patients, an immediate conversion to thoracotomy without patients' position change was actually possible and no serious complications were noted. No mortality occurred within 30days postoperatively. RAMIE-LLDP which facilitates emergency thoracotomy has perioperative results comparable to those of conventional thoracoscopic esophagectomy and is educational for open surgery. RAMIE-LLDP is the safest and most optimal surgery for esophageal cancer.

588. EFFICACY OF INTRAOPERATIVE RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE MONITORING DURING MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGECTOMY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: A NATIONWIDE INPATIENT COHORT STUDY

Abstract Background Lymphadenectomy around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is an essential part of curative surgery for esophageal cancer. The rate of lymph node metastasis around the RLN is extremely high, and postoperative RLN palsy could lead to a poor prognosis in patients with 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 was performed to evaluate whether intraoperative nerve monitoring IONM can reduce postoperative RLN palsy during minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer using a national database. Methods We retrieved data of patients with esophageal cancer who underwent MIE involving thoracoscopic or robotic esophagectomy with IONM (502 patients) and without IONM (4,353 patients) at 348 hospitals from April 2020 to March 2022 from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan. We compared the frequency of postoperative RLN palsy and respiratory complications between the IONM (+) group and IONM (−) group using propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis. The propensity score was estimated using multivariable logistic regression models including age, sex, Body Mass Index, Brinkman index, Activities of Daily Living, comorbidities at admission, clinical TNM classification, approach of MIE, and hospital case volume with reference to previous studies of IONM. Results After PSM, the standardized bias was <10% for all covariates, which indicated improved balance in the covariates between the matched pairs. With 1-to-1 matching, 501 pairs (1,002 cases) were created between the IONM (+) and (−) groups. The postoperative RLN palsy rate was significantly lower in the IONM (+) than (−) group (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13–0.46). The respiratory complication rate was also significantly lower in the IONM (+) than (−) 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). The length of postoperative hospitalization tended to be shorter in the IONM (+) than (−) group (regression coefficient, −1.39 days; 95% CI, −3.91 to 1.14). Conclusion This nationwide cohort study showed that IONM during MIE for esophageal cancer can reduce postoperative RLN palsy and respiratory complications.

350. CONTINUOUS INTRAOPERATIVE NERVE MONITORING TO REDUCE THE LEFT RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE PARALYSIS IN TRANSMEDIASTINAL ESOPHAGECTOMY

Abstract Introduction Transmediastinal esophagectomy (TME) is a curative option for esophageal cancer, and can achieve total mediastinal lymph node dissection (LND) with transcervical and transhiatal procedures. With the transcervical procedure, the upper mediastinal LND is highly associated with the risk of causing recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (RLNP). Continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring (CIONM) can visualize the risk procedure in real time, which may result in reducing postoperative RLNP. The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of CIONM in reducing postoperative left RLNP with TME. Material and methods A total of 227 patients who underwent TME for esophageal cancer (EC) or esophagogastric junction cancer (EGJC) between October 2017 and July 2022 at our institution were included in this study. Patients who did not undergo the upper and middle mediastinal LND (33 patients) and could not undergo CIONM (34 patients) were excluded from these 227 patients. Finally, we analyzed data on 160 patients. The clinicopathological data were reviewed from the medical record database of our institution. Results The technical implementation rate of CIONM was 87.4%. The diagnostic performance for RLNP with amplitude<100μV (LOS: loss of signal) at the end of transcervical procedure was as follows (sensitivity: 83.3%, specificity: 90.7%, positive diagnostic value: 88.8%). In the univariate analysis, the frequency of left RLNP was significantly higher in male, patients with primary tumor located at the upper thoracic esophagus, and patients with LOS (p<0.001, respectively). Moreover, the multivariate analysis identified patients with tumor located at the upper thoracic esophagus and patients with LOS (p<0.001) as independent risk factors for left RLNP. Conclusion In the present study, we showed the significant association between amplitude LOS and left RLNP. CIONM could contribute to reducing left RLNP by not only paying attention to amplitude reduction during surgery, but also learning the risk procedure that may cause nerve damage after surgery.

622. COMPARISON OF ROBOT-ASSISTED MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGECTOMY WITH CONVENTIONAL MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGECTOMY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL COHORT STUDY

Abstract Background The Japanese public insurance system approved robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) for esophageal cancer in 2018. Since then, an increasing number of RAMIE has been performed every year. However, it is unclear whether RAMIE is more beneficial than conventional minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in terms of short-term and long-term outcomes. Methods A total of 396 patients (RAMIE, 145; MIE, 251) with resectable esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 2016 and 2019 at 6 institutions were included. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare the short-term outcome. Two-stage esophagectomy, salvage surgery, and palliative resection were excluded. Individual propensity scores were calculated based on the following 15 variables: age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS), hemodialysis, oral steroid use, obstructive pulmonary disease, histology, tumor location, clinical T, N, M classification, preoperative therapy, field of lymphadenectomy, and organ used for reconstruction. Results After matching 272 patients were analyzed. RAMIE took the significantly longer operating time (629min; 570min, p=0.0005), but the amount of blood loss (90g; 84g), number of harvested mediastinal nodes (24; 25), and in-hospital mortality (1.5%; 0.7%) were comparable. RAMIE group showed a trend of less severe post-operative morbidity (Clavien–Dindo grade III or higher) (18%; 27%) and significant reduction of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (23%; 35%, p=0.046). The 5-year overall and relapse-free survival in the RAMIE and MIE groups were 65%; 61% [hazard ratio (HR), 0.77; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.17], and 61%; 51% (HR, 0.73; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.06), respectively. Conclusion RAMIE was safely performed even during the early period of its application. Despite the longer operating time, RAMIE would be a promising alternative to MIE, with a better trend of short- and long-term outcomes, including a significantly lower incidence of postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.

798. FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF CISPLATIN, PACLITAXEL AND IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS AS CONVERSION THERAPY FOR LOCOREGIONALLY UNRESECTABLE ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract Background Induction therapy followed by conversion surgery is potentially curative for locoregionally unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the optimal induction treatment strategy is unclear. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of cisplatin, paclitaxel and immune checkpoint inhibitors as conversion therapy for locoregionally unresectable ESCC. Methods Clinicopathological variables of cT4b ESCC patients who received neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy were retrieved from the prospective database of the Surgical Esophageal Cancer Patient Registry in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Enhanced computed tomography, ultrasonography and bronchoscopy were routinely used for the diagnosis. The treatment protocol of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy included 2 cycles of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy with the interval of 3 weeks among each cycle. All patients received 2 cycles of Pembrolizumab (200 mg, D1), Sintilimab (200 mg, D1), Tislelizumab (200 mg, D1) or Camrelizumab (200 mg, D1) intravenously. Concurrently all patients received 2 cycles of cisplatin (75 mg/m2 of body-surface area, D1) and paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 body-surface area, D1) intravenously. The perioperative parameters and short-term surgical outcomes were presented (Table). Results Between January 2020 and December 2022, a total of 317 ESCC patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by surgery were screened. Twenty cT4b patients with middle or upper thoracic ESCC were finally enrolled in this study. Pretreatment tumor invades the trachea (4, 20%), left main bronchus (16, 80%), and aorta (6, 30%), respectively. All the patients were successfully performed by McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy except for one patient conversion to thoracotomy. R0 resection was achieved in 15 patients, 4 patients underwent R1 resection and 1 patient underwent R2 resection. Mean operation duration was 290.4 ± 57.5 min. Mean estimated blood loss was 94.4 ± 108.8 ml. Three patients had postoperative pneumonia, two patients had postoperative pleural effusion and one patient had postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. No patient had postoperative anastomotic leak. No postoperative reoperation was needed and there was no perioperative mortality. Mean length of hospital stay was 10.9±1.4 days. 90-day mortality occurred in one patient with postoperative multiple systemic metastasis. Fifteen patients are alive with a median follow up of 18 months. One patient died with regional lymph node recurrence and three patients died with hematogenous dissemination. Conclusion Multimodal treatment strategy combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy may convert unresectable tumors into potentially operable ones, and achieved favorable survival. Longer follow-up and larger sample size are needed to verify our preliminary results.

Factors of postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and recovery of vocal cord movement in thyroid surgery

ObjectivePostoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis is one of the complications of thyroid surgery, and the prevention and management of paralysis is an important issue for surgeons. In this study, in order to gain further understanding of recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis after thyroid surgery, we analyzed and examined the usefulness of nerve stimulators for recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and the factors that may cause recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Furthermore, in cases where transient recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis occurred, we analyzed and examined the timing of improvement in vocal cord movement for each intraoperative finding and intraoperative operation that caused the paralysis. MethodsAt the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sapporo Medical University Hospital, between January 2012 and December 2021, the subjects were 543 thyroid surgery cases (692 nerves) without preoperative paralysis or cancer nerve invasion performed. The relationship between postoperative transient and permanent paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. The factors evaluated were gender, age, BMI, total thyroidectomy, benignity, malignancy, Graves’ disease, using IIONM (intermittent intraoperative nerve monitoring), using CIONM (continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring), malignant tumor T3b or higher, with lateral neck dissection, and years of experience of the surgeon. Furthermore, by targeting 87 nerves with transient paralysis, surgical operations were divided into three groups: minor injury, major injury, and adhesion, and their relationship with the timing of postoperative vocal fold movement improvement was evaluated. ResultsPermanent paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve occurred in 12 nerves (1.7 %), and transient paralysis occurred in 100 nerves (14.5 %). Univariate analysis showed no association with each factor, but multivariate analysis showed that transient paralysis was significantly lower in men and in patients using IIONM. The improvement time for vocal cord paralysis was 2.8 months in the minor injury group, 4.5 months in the major injury group, and 3.2 months in the adhesion group, indicating a statistically significant difference between the minor injury group and the major injury group. ConclusionThis study suggests that the use of IIONM and gentle manipulation of women may prevent recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis during thyroid surgery. In addition, understanding the period of nerve recovery for each operation for postoperative transient recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis may contribute to patient explanations and determining the timing of therapeutic intervention for speech improvement surgery.

Intraoperative Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Monitoring for Esophagectomy: A National Cohort Study

BackgroundLymphadenectomy 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. MethodsWe 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. ResultsThe 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). ConclusionsThis 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.

Association of perioperative oral swallowing function with post-esophagectomy outcomes and nutritional statuses in patients with esophageal cancer.

Dysphagia after esophagectomy is a serious complication; however, no method has been established to accurately assess swallowing function. We evaluated the association of swallowing function tests with patients' post-esophagectomy complications and nutritional statuses. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 95 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 2016 and 2021. We performed perioperative swallowing function tests, including the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), maximum phonation time (MPT), and laryngeal elevation (LE). Patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) and respiratory complications (RC) had significantly lower postoperative RSST scores than patients without them; the scores in patients with or without anastomotic leakage (AL) were similar. Postoperative MPT in patients with RLNP was shorter than that in patients without RLNP; however, it was similar to that in patients with or without AL and RC. LE was not associated with any complications. Patients with an RSST score ≤2 at 2weeks post-esophagectomy had significant weight loss at 1, 6, and 12months postoperatively compared with patients with an RSST score ≥3. The proportion of patients with severe weight loss (≥20% weight loss) within 1year of esophagectomy was significantly greater in patients with RSST scores ≤2 than in those with RSST scores ≥3. Multivariate analysis showed that an RSST score ≤2 was the only predictor of severe post-esophagectomy weight loss. RSST scoring is a simple tool for evaluating post-esophagectomy swallowing function. A lower RSST score is associated with postoperative RLNP, RC, and poor nutritional status.

Assessment of pre-extubating recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy using ultrasound in postoperative patients with esophageal cancer: a prospective observational study.

Ultrasound performed after extubation has been suggested to be useful for the diagnosis of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis. However, the use of ultrasound for this purpose before extubation has not been examined. The aim of this study was to examine the versatility (interrater reliability) and usefulness of ultrasound for evaluating the movement of vocal cords before extubation. The subjects were 30 patients who underwent radical surgery for esophageal cancer from August 2020 to December 2021. An experienced examiner performed an ultrasound examination before and after elective extubation on the day after surgery to evaluate RLN paralysis and record videos. Bronchoscopy was then performed to make a definite diagnosis. Three anesthetists blinded to the diagnosis also evaluated the cases using the videos, and the versatility of the examination was determined using a kappa test. The diagnostic accuracies of the examiner and three anesthetists were 76.7%, 50.0%, 53.3%, and 46.7%, respectively, and the kappa coefficients for the examiner with the anesthetists were 0.310, 0.502, and 0.169, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for diagnosis of RLN paralysis by the examiner using ultrasound before extubation were 0.57, 0.95, 0.80, and 0.87, respectively. These results indicate a lack of versatility of the ultrasound examination based on the low kappa coefficients. However, with an experienced examiner, ultrasound can serve as a non-invasive examination that can be performed before extubation with high accuracy and specificity for diagnosis of postoperative RLN paralysis.

Outcomes of Preoperative Medical Therapy for Thyroidectomy in Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

IntroductionThyroidectomy provides definitive treatment for autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) often resulting in improved quality of life. Historically, patients with AITD undergoing thyroidectomy have increased rates of postoperative hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. We investigated the outcomes of preoperative medications in patients with AITD undergoing thyroidectomy. MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent thyroidectomy for AITD at a single institution from 2015 to 2021. Surgical outcomes and perioperative laboratory values were analyzed by type of AITD and type of preoperative medical treatment: none, saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI), corticosteroids, or both SSKI and corticosteroids. ResultsA total of 123 patients underwent thyroidectomy for AITD and were included in analysis: 50 received no preoperative medications, 40 received SSKI, 20 received corticosteroids, and 13 received both. Seventy-six patients had Graves’ disease and 47 had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. There were no significant differences in blood loss, operative time, wound complications, hematoma, or recurrent laryngeal nerve injury for patients treated with preoperative corticosteroids compared to those who were not. Patients who received corticosteroids and patients with Graves’ disease more commonly had at least one instance of hypocalcemia postoperatively (P < 0.01, P = 0.01), although only on postoperative day 1 was mean calcium < 8.5 mg/dL. There was no difference in rate of transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism. ConclusionsPatients who received corticosteroids preoperatively had no increased risk of complications. They did have mildly lower calcium levels in the early postoperative period, although no difference in hypoparathyroidism. Further exploration is warranted to investigate the impact of preoperative corticosteroids on operative difficulty, quality of life, and autoantibody clearance.

436. USEFULNESS OF INTRAOPERATIVE CONTINUOUS NERVE MONITORING IN TRANSMEDIASTINAL MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGECTOMY

Abstract Introduction We have previously reported that continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring (CIONM) is useful in reducing postoperative left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (RLNP) in transmediastinal esophagectomy (TME). In this study, we investigated the relationship between the paralysis risk types on CIONM and postoperative RLNP. Methods A total of 161 patients who underwent TME for esophageal malignancies and esophagogastric junctional cancer with CIONM between October 2017 and July 2022. The relationship between clinical background factors, changes in amplitude during surgery, and left RLNP (endoscopic vocal cord findings on postoperative day 7) was retrospectively investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between LOS types (segmental or diffuse) and left RLNP was examined. Results The median age was 70 years, with 127 male and 34 female patients. At the end of transcervical procedure, 46 patients had amplitude less than 100 μV (LOS: loss of signal) and 78 patients had amplitude ≤50% of baseline. Postoperatively, 76.1% of LOS cases and 46.2% of cases with amplitudes ≤50% of baseline had left RLNP. The amplitude reduction types (LOS, baseline≤50%), primary tumor in the cervical/upper thoracic/middle thoracic esophagus, and males were significantly associated with left RLNP (p &amp;lt; 0.001). When examined by LOS type, RLNP was more common in segmental LOS than in diffuse LOS. Conclusion The pattern of amplitude reduction on CIONM is useful in predicting postoperative left RLNP. We will continue to increase the number of cases and verify the further effectiveness of CIONM for TME.

Intraoperative Neuromonitoring for Thyroid Surgery in Children and Adolescents: A Single Center Experience.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) has been shown in adults to minimize nerve palsy after thyroid surgery, but only few studies on its efficacy in a pediatric population have been reported. We conducted a retrospective study on patients operated for thyroid lesions from 2016 to 2022. The analyzed population was divided in two groups: patients treated from 2016 to 2020, when the identification of the RLN was performed without IONM (Group A); and patients treated since 2021, when IONM was implemented in every surgical procedure on the thyroid (Group B). Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring was performed by using corticobulbar motor-evoked potentials and continuous electromyography. Twentyfive children underwent thyroid resection, 19 (76%) of which due to thyroid carcinoma. Each patient's recurrent nerve was identified; IONM was used in 13 patients. In Group A, one temporary nerve palsy was identified postoperatively (8.3%), while in group B one nerve dysfunction occurred (7.7%). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of post-operative RLN palsy. No surgical complication due to the use of IONM was reported. In children and teenagers, intraoperative neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is a safe and accurate method, minimizing the risk of nerve damage.

A descriptive comparison of postoperative outcomes between hybrid mediastino-thoracoscopic approach and conventional thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the hybrid mediastino-thoracoscopic approach with that of the conventional thoracoscopic approach and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid approach. We retrospectively analyzed 172 patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from July 2009 to June 2021, excluding salvage surgery. In the mediastinoscopic approach, the lymph nodes were dissected from a small incision in the left aspect of the neck to the aortic arch with supine double-lung ventilation. Thereafter, the middle-to-lower mediastinum and right superior mediastinum were dissected thoracoscopically in the prone position. The patients' demographics, surgical outcomes, postoperative complications, and postoperative recurrence patterns were compared between 51 patients in the hybrid approach and 121 patients in the conventional approach. The hybrid group had more elderly patients (71years vs. 67years; P = 0.010), more cardiovascular disease (33.3% vs. 16.7%; P = 0.021), lower rates of preoperative chemotherapy (49.0% vs. 69.4%; P = 0.015), and shorter right lung collapse time (196min vs. 264min; P < 0.001). Postoperative hoarseness was not different between the two groups (31.4% vs. 27.3%; P = 0.584), and there was a significant difference in the sternal-vertebral distance at the level of the sternal notch (41mm in the hybrid group vs. 48mm in the conventional group; P = 0.029). The sternal-vertebral distance of less than 45mm was an independent risk factor for postoperative hoarseness in the logistic analysis (odds ratio 3.636, 95% confidence interval 1.054-12.546; P = 0.041). The hybrid mediastino-thoracoscopic approach could be safely adapted to elderly or cardiopulmonary diseased patients; however, short sternal-vertebral distance might be a risk factor of postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.

A modified tracheal transection approach for cervical esophageal lesion treatment: A report of 13 cases.

Surgical interventions for tumors in the cervical esophageal region are complicated and laryngeal function is frequently sacrificed. Therefore, we attempted the tracheal transection approach to resect the tumor while preserving laryngeal function. Three patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), six with cervical esophageal cancer (CEC), and four with CEC mixed with thoracic esophageal cancer (TEC) were enrolled. The esophagus was exposed after the trachea was transected between the second and third tracheal rings. CEC/TEC: Resection of the esophagus or/and a portion of the hypopharynx with acceptable safety margins and repair with free jejunum or tubular stomach. PTC: Suture the small esophageal incision immediately after removing the tumor. The tracheal dissection was repaired with interrupted sutures throughout the entire layer after the esophageal lesion was resected. The status of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) determined whether a tracheotomy was necessary. All 13 patients had effective esophageal lesion excision, with six of them requiring intraoperative tracheotomy. Postoperative complications included a tracheoesophageal fistula (one case, 7.7%), postoperative RLN paralysis (two cases, 15.4%), and aspiration (three cases, 23.1%). Except for two patients with distant metastases, there was no recurrence in the remaining patients after 5-92 months of follow-up. The tracheal transection approach, as a new surgical technique, can retain laryngeal function while ensuring appropriate exposure and satisfactory surgical resection. Before surgery, the feasibility of this approach must be carefully assessed. The RLN should be protected during the procedure. The operation is both safe and effective, with a wide range of applications.

Continuous Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Monitoring During Single-Port Mediastinoscopic Radical Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

BackgroundAlthough single-port mediastinoscopic radical esophagectomy is ultimate minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer without thoracotomy or the thoracoscopic approach, the high incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy remains a pivotal clinical issue. MethodsThis study included 41 patients who underwent single-port mediastinoscopic radical esophagectomy with mediastinal lymphadenectomy between September 2014 and March 2022. Among these, continuous nerve monitoring (CNM) for RLN was done in 25 patients (CNM group), while the remaining 16 patients underwent without CNM (non-CNM group). Clinical benefits of CNM for RLN were evaluated. ResultsThe overall incidence of postoperative RLN palsy was 14.6% (6/41). The CNM group showed a significantly lower incidence of postoperative RLN palsy as compared to the non-CNM group (P = 0.026: CNM vs. non-CRNM: 4.0% (1/25) vs. 31.2% (5/16)). The CNM group had a lower incidence of postoperative pneumoniae (CNM vs. non-CNM: 4.0% (1/25) vs. 18.8% (3/16)) and shorter days of postoperative hospital stay (CNM vs. non-CNM: 13 days vs. 41 days). Multivariate analysis revealed that the CNM use (odds ratio 0.07; 95% CI 0.05–0.98) was an independent factor avoiding postoperative RLN palsy. ConclusionThe CNM for RLN contributes to a remarkable reduction in the risk of postoperative RLN palsy and improvement in outcomes in single-port mediastinoscopic radical esophagectomy.

417. ROBOT-ASSISTED MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGECTOMY WITH UPPER MEDIASTINAL LYMPHADENECTOMY

Abstract We started robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) in 2012 using da Vinci S. After the reimbursement in the national insurance system in 2018, RAMIE has been indicated as an institutional standard surgery simply depending on the da Vinci availability. Our early series of 45 RAMIEs showed significantly less postoperative morbidity (p = 0.03) mainly due to less pulmonary complication (p = 0.006) compared to conventional minimally invasive esophagectomy using propensity score matching (Ann Surg Oncol. 2020). This study aims to retrospectively evaluate the feasibility of RAMIE and to demonstrate our standardized RAMIE with updated data. Our surgical technique is as follows. A patient is placed in a prone position with both lung ventilation with 8-10 mmHg artificial pneumothorax. In the upper mediastinum, the thoracic duct is usually preserved unless there is tumor invasion. Then, the tracheoesophageal arteries flowing into the visceral sheath over the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) are divided first and RLN is isolated laterally. Then, the lymphatic tissue is dissected from the trachea. This procedure is identical on both sides of RLN nodal dissection. By January 2022, 89 RAMIEs (S: 6 cases and Xi: 83 cases) were performed. Thoracic operation time was 348 min and console time was 296 min. Intraoperative blood loss was 80 g and the number of harvested thoracic nodes is 23. There was no conversion from RAMIE to MIE nor to open procedure. Overall severe postoperative morbidity (Clavien-Dindo Grade 3 or higher) was 17% (15/89) and clinically relevant postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (Clavien-Dindo Grade 2 or higher) was 10% (9/89). There was no postoperative mortality. RAMIE was safe and feasible.

504. LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS AND CAUSES OF DEATH IN CLINICAL STAGE I ESOPHAGEAL CANCER PATIENTS AFTER ESOPHAGECTOMY

Abstract For patients with clinical stage (cStage) I esophageal cancer that were not indicated for endoscopic resection, esophagectomy was the standard treatment if surgery was desired. The long-term prognosis after surgical resection of cStage I esophageal cancer was 86.5% of the 5-year survival rate in the results of the JCOG0502 study. The aim of this study was to review the long-term survival the causes of death in cStage I esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy. Between January 2004 to February 2021, 138 patients underwent radical esophagectomy for the treatment of cStage I esophageal cancer in our institution. These cases also included non-curative resection cases after endoscopic resection. The patient cohort contained 116 (84 %) males, and 22 (16 %) patients. The median age was 68.5 years (range, 49–82). We estimated long-term overall and cancer-specific cumulative mortality for these patients. In addition, we analyzed the deaths from other causes. The median follow-up period was 52 months. The 5-year survival rates and cancer-specific survival rate were 82.8% and 87.3%, respectively. There were two surgery-related deaths. Other-cause deaths were observed in 19 patients. The causes were other cancers in 7 patients, respiratory diseases (pneumonia, acute exacerbation of COPD) in 4 patients, heart failure in 1 patient, and unknown in 7 patients. The breakdown of other cancers was cervical esophageal cancer in 1 patient, hypopharyngeal cancer in 3 patients, lung cancer in 2 patients, and malignant lymphoma in 1 patient. Of the 4 patients who were caused by respiratory disease, 3 had recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy as postoperative complication. The long-term prognosis of cStage I esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy in our institution was comparable to that of other clinical trials. Head and neck cancer and lung cancer accounted for the majority of deaths due to other causes. In addition, most of the cases caused by respiratory disease had postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. It was considered that attention should be paid to aspiration even during outpatient follow-up.

The effectiveness of reducing endotracheal cuff pressure after retractor placement to decrease postoperative laryngeal dysfunction in anterior cervical surgery: a meta-analysis.

The authors sought to determine if a consensus could be reached regarding the effectiveness of endotracheal tube cuff pressure (ETTCP) reduction after retractor placement in reducing postoperative laryngeal dysfunction after anterior cervical fusion surgery. A literature search of MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases was performed. Quantitative analysis was performed on data from articles comparing groups of patients with either reduced or unadjusted ETTCP after retractor placement in the context of anterior cervical surgery. The incidence and severity of postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP), dysphagia, and dysphonia were compared at several postsurgical time points, ranging from 24 hours to 3 months. Heterogeneity was assessed using the chi-square test, I2 statistics, and inverted funnel plots. A random-effects model was used to provide a conservative estimate of the level of effect. Nine studies (7 randomized, 1 prospective, and 1 retrospective) were included in the analysis. A total of 1671 patients were included (1073 [64.2%] in the reduced ETTCP group and 598 [35.8%] in the unadjusted ETTCP group). In the reduced ETTCP group, the severity of dysphagia, measured by the Bazaz-Yoo system in 3 randomized studies at 24 hours and at 4-8 weeks, was significantly lower (24 hours [standardized mean difference: -1.83, p = 0.04] and 4-8 weeks [standardized mean difference: -0.40, p = 0.05]). At 24 hours, the odds of developing dysphonia were significantly lower (OR 0.51, p = 0.002). The odds of dysphagia (24 hours: OR 0.77, p = 0.24; 1 week: OR 0.70, p = 0.47; 12 weeks: OR 0.58, p = 0.20) were lower, although not significantly, in the reduced ETTCP group. The odds of a patient having RLNP were significantly lower at all time points (24 hours: OR 0.38, p = 0.01; 12 weeks: OR 0.26, p = 0.03) when 3 randomized and 2 observational studies were analyzed. A subgroup analysis using only randomized studies demonstrated a similar trend in odds of having RLNP, yet without statistical significance (24 hours: OR 0.79, p = 0.60). All other statistically significant findings persisted with removal of any observational data. Based on the current best available evidence, reduction of ETTCP after retractor placement in anterior cervical surgery may be a protective measure to decrease the severity of dysphagia and the odds of developing RLNP or dysphonia.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy in Thyroidectomy

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy in Thyroidectomy

食道癌手術における術後反回神経麻痺の検討

食道癌手術における術後反回神経麻痺の検討