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

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: The hybrid group had more elderly patients (71 years vs. 67 years; 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 (196 min vs. 264 min; 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 (41 mm in the hybrid group vs. 48 mm in the conventional group; P = 0.029). The sternal-vertebral distance of less than 45 mm 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). CONCLUSION: 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.