Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer is a complex procedure that reduces postoperative morbidity in comparison to open approach. In this study, thoracic cage width as a factor to predict surgical difficulty in MIE was evaluated. METHODS: All patients of our institution receiving either total MIE or robotic-assisted MIE (RAMIE) with intrathoracic anastomosis between February 2016 and April 2021 for esophageal cancer were included in this study. Right unilateral thoracic cage width on the level of vena azygos crossing the esophagus was measured by the horizontal distance between the esophagus and parietal pleura on preoperative computer tomography. Patients' data as well as operative and postoperative details were collected in a prospective database. Correlation between thoracic cage width with duration of the thoracic procedure and postoperative complication rates was analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 313 patients were eligible for this study. Thoracic width on vena azygos level ranged from 85 to 149 mm with a mean of 116.5 mm. In univariate analysis, a small thoracic width significantly correlated with longer duration of the thoracic procedure (p = 0.014). In multivariate analysis, small thoracic width and neoadjuvant therapy were identified as independent factors for long duration of the thoracic procedure (p = 0.006). Regarding postoperative complications, thoracic cage width was a significant risk factor for occurrence of postoperative pneumonia in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.045). Dividing the cohort into two groups of patients with narrow (≤ 107 mm, 19.5%) and wide thoraces (≥ 108 mm, 80.5%), the thoracic procedure was significantly prolonged by 17 min (204 min vs. 221 min, p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: A small thoracic cage width is significantly correlated with longer operation time during thoracic phase of a MIE in Europe, which suggests increased surgical difficulty. Patients with small thoracic cage width may preferably be operated by MIE-experienced surgeons.