Laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients with high-risk post-operative complications

Abstract

Summary Surgical treatment of esophageal cancer is challenging, due to considerable morbidity, especially in high surgical risk patients. While transhiatal esophagectomy leads to good oncological outcomes and reduced postoperative complications, less invasive techniques might further improve outcomes. Our goal was to compare results of laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (LTE) with open transhiatal esophagectomy (OTE) in esophageal cancer patients at high surgical risk. From 2014 to 2020, 128 patients were identified. Seventy received OTE while 51 received LTE. After propensity score matching (1:1), postoperative complications, analysis of overall and disease-free survival, and survival-related prognostic factors were assessed in two groups of 48 patients. Ninety-one (77%) patients were men with a mean age of 65 ± 10.3 years. Those who underwent OTE experienced more clinical and surgical complications. In LTE patients, the number of mean resected lymph nodes was 25.9, and in patients who had OTE, it was 17.4 (P < 0.001). Overall survival was 56.0% in the LTE group and 33.6% (P = 0.023) in the OTE group. In multivariable analysis of overall survival, open surgery and incomplete pathological response were seen as worse negative factors. In multivariable analysis, metastatic lymph nodes, incomplete pathologic response, surgical complications, and a Charlson’s index > 2 (P = 0.014) were associated with poor prognosis. Both surgical methods are safe with similar morbidity and mortality; however, LTE was associated with fewer complications, a higher number of resected lymph nodes, better overall survival, and more prognostic factors related to global and disease-free overall survival in high-risk patients.