Robotic surgery is gaining importance in complex thoracoscopic surgery, such as robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE). The RAMIE procedure was designed using the first generation ...of the robotic system. The latest
system has substantially increased the dexterity, especially designed for multiquadrant surgery. The original three-arm RAMIE approach was modified including the robotic four-arm use for the thoracoscopic and laparoscopic part of the operation. This extended approach (four-arm RAMIE approach) provides more flexibility and raises the independence of the surgeon.
Background
This study was designed to define a statistically sound and clinically meaningful cutoff point for annual hospital volume for esophagectomy. Higher hospital volumes are associated with ...improved outcomes after esophagectomy. However, reported optimal volumes in literature vary, and minimal volume standards in different countries show considerable variation. So far, there has been no research on the noncategorical, nonlinear, volume-outcome relationship in esophagectomy.
Methods
Data were derived from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the nonlinear effects of annual hospital volume on 6 month and 2 year mortality rates. Outcomes were adjusted for year of diagnosis, case-mix, and (neo)adjuvant treatment.
Results
Between 1989 and 2009, 10,025 patients underwent esophagectomy for cancer in the Netherlands. Annual hospital volumes varied between 1 and 83 year, increasing over time. Increasing annual hospital volume showed a continuous, nonlinear decrease in hazard ratio (HR) for mortality along the curve. Increasing hospital volume from 20 year (baseline, HR = 1.00) to 40 and 60 year was associated with decreasing 6 month mortality, with a HR of 0.73 (95 % confidence interval (0.65–0.83) and 0.67 (0.58–0.77) respectively. Beyond 60 year, no further decrease was detected. Higher hospital volume also was associated with decreasing 2 year mortality until 50 esophagectomies year with a HR of 0.86 (0.79–0.93).
Conclusions
Centralization of esophagectomy to a minimum of 20 resections/year has been effectively introduced in the Netherlands. Increasing annual hospital volume was associated with a nonlinear decrease in mortality up to 40–60 esophagectomies/year, after which a plateau was reached. This finding may guide quality improvement efforts worldwide.
Esophageal cancer is characterized by early and frequent metastasis. Surgery is the primary treatment for early-stage disease, whereas patients with patients with locally advanced disease receive ...perioperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Squamous cancers can be treated with primary chemoradiotherapy without surgery, depending on their response to therapy and patient tolerance for subsequent surgery. Chemotherapy with a fluorinated pyrimidine and a platinum agent, followed by later treatment with taxanes and irinotecan, provides some benefit. Agents that inhibit the erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2 or HER2), or vascular endothelial growth factor, including trastuzumab, ramucirumab, and apatinib, increase response and survival times. Esophageal adenocarcinomas have mutations in tumor protein p53 and mutations that activate receptor-associated tyrosine kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cell cycle pathways, whereas esophageal squamous tumors have a distinct set of mutations. Esophageal cancers develop systems to evade anti-tumor immune responses, but studies are needed to determine how immune checkpoint modification contributes to esophageal tumor development.
Introduction: The balance between potential oncological merits and surgical risks is unclear for the additional step of performing paratracheal lymphadenectomy during esophagectomy for cancer. This ...study aimed to investigate the impact of paratracheal lymphadenectomy on lymph node yield and short-term outcomes in patients who underwent this procedure in the Netherlands. Methods: Patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by transthoracic esophagectomy were included from the Dutch Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Audit (DUCA). After propensity score matching Ivor Lewis and McKeown approaches separately, lymph node yield and short-term outcomes were compared between patients who underwent paratracheal lymphadenectomy versus patients who did not. Results: Between 2011 and 2017, 2,128 patients were included. Some 770 patients (n = 385 vs. n = 385) and 516 patients (n = 258 vs. n = 258) were matched for the Ivor Lewis and McKeown approaches, respectively. Paratracheal lymphadenectomy was associated with a higher lymph node yield in Ivor Lewis (23 vs. 19 nodes, p < 0.001) and McKeown (21 vs. 19 nodes, p = 0.015) esophagectomy. There were no significant differences in complications or mortality. After Ivor Lewis esophagectomy, paratracheal lymphadenectomy was associated with longer length of stay (12 vs. 11 days, p < 0.048). After McKeown esophagectomy, paratracheal lymphadenectomy was associated with more re-interventions (30% vs. 18%, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Paratracheal lymphadenectomy resulted in a higher lymph node yield but also in longer length of stay after Ivor Lewis and more re-interventions following McKeown esophagectomy.
Background
Pneumonia is an important complication following esophagectomy; however, a wide range of pneumonia incidence is reported. The lack of one generally accepted definition prevents valid ...inter-study comparisons. We aimed to simplify and validate an existing scoring model to define pneumonia following esophagectomy.
Patients and methods
The Utrecht Pneumonia Score, comprising of pulmonary radiography findings, leucocyte count, and temperature, was simplified and internally validated using bootstrapping in the dataset (
n
= 185) in which it was developed. Subsequently, the intercept and (shrunk) coefficients of the developed multivariable logistic regression model were applied to an external dataset (
n
= 201)
Results
In the revised Uniform Pneumonia Score, points are assigned based on the temperature, the leucocyte, and the findings of pulmonary radiography. The model discrimination was excellent in the internal validation set and in the external validation set (C-statistics 0.93 and 0.91, respectively); furthermore, the model calibrated well in both cohorts.
Conclusion
The revised Uniform Pneumonia Score (rUPS) can serve as a means to define post-esophagectomy pneumonia. Utilization of a uniform definition for pneumonia will improve inter-study comparability and improve the evaluations of new therapeutic strategies to reduce the pneumonia incidence.
Introduction
Long-term survival is still rarely achieved with current systemic treatment in patients with breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM). Extended survival after hepatectomy was examined in a ...select group of BCLM patients.
Patients and methods
Hepatectomy for BCLM was performed in 139 consecutive patients between 1985 and 2012. Patients who survived < 5 years were compared to those who survived ≥ 5 years from first diagnosis of hepatic metastases. Predictive factors for survival were analyzed. Statistically cured, defined as those patients who their hazard rate returned to that of the general population, was analyzed.
Results
Of the 139, 43 patients survived ≥ 5 years. Significant differences between patient groups (< 5 vs. ≥ 5 years) were mean time interval between primary tumor and hepatic metastases diagnosis (50 vs. 43 months), mean number of resected tumors (3 vs. 2), positive estrogen receptors (54% vs. 79%), microscopic lymphatic invasion (65% vs. 34%), vascular invasion (63% vs. 37%), hormonal therapy after resection (34% vs. 74%), number of recurrence (40% vs. 65%) and repeat hepatectomy (1% vs. 42%), respectively. The probability of statistical cure was 14% (95% CI 1.4–26.7%) in these patients.
Conclusions
Hepatectomy combined with systemic treatment can provide a chance of long-term survival and even cure in selected patients with BCLM. Microscopic vascular/lymphatic invasion appears to be a novel predictor for long-term survival after hepatectomy for BCLM and should be part of the review when discussing multidisciplinary treatment strategies.
Resection of the thoracic duct is part of the formal en bloc mediastinal esophagolymphadenectomy for cancer, although with the adaptation of minimally invasive techniques, some centers started to ...leave the thoracic duct compartment in situ. However, previous studies reported thoracic duct lymph nodes in this compartment that may contain metastasis. The aim of this study was to assess the presence and number of lymph nodes in the fatty tissue surrounding the thoracic duct.
A right-sided thoracoscopic esophagectomy was performed on seven fresh-frozen human cadavers (male, n = 3; female, n = 4). The esophagus and lymph node stations 7, 8, and 9 were resected en bloc, followed by resection of the thoracic duct compartment consisting of the fatty tissue covering the aorta, the thoracic duct and thoracic duct lymph nodes. Lymph nodes were visualized by a hematoxylin and eosin stain and counted macroscopically and microscopically.
Thoracic duct lymph nodes were found in 6 of 7 cadavers (86%), with a median number of 1 (range, 0 to 6). Nodes were predominantly located in the area of the azygos vein. A median of 4 subcarinal nodes (range, 1 to 8) and 2 periesophageal nodes (range, 1 to 4) were present.
This study shows that thoracic duct lymph nodes are located within the fatty tissue surrounding the thoracic duct. Resection of this compartment during an esophagectomy for cancer increases lymph node yield.
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury caused by esophagectomy may lead to postoperative morbidity, however data on long-term recovery are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ...consequences of RLN palsy (RLNP) in terms of pulmonary morbidity and long-term functional recovery.
Patients who underwent a 3-stage transthoracic (McKeown) or a transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma in the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) between January 2004 and March 2016 were included from a prospective database. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess the association between RLNP and pulmonary complications and hospital stay. Data regarding long-term recovery were summarized using descriptive statistics.
Out of the 451 included patients, 47 (10%) were diagnosed with RLNP. Of the patients with RLNP, 34 (7%) had a unilateral lesion, 8 (2%) had a bilateral lesion, and in 5 (1%) the location of the lesion was unknown. The incidence of RLNP was 3/127 (2%) in the transhiatal group, and 44/324 (14%) in the McKeown group. RLNP after McKeown esophagectomy was associated with a higher incidence of pulmonary complications (OR 2.391; 95% CI 1.222-4.679; P=0.011), as well as a longer hospital stay (+4 days) (P=0.001). Of the RLNP patients with more than 6 months follow up almost half recovered fully {median follow-up of 17.5 7-135 months}. Of the remainder, six required a surgical intervention and the others had residual symptoms.
RLNP after McKeown esophagectomy is associated with an increased pulmonary complication rate, longer hospital stay, and a moderate long-term recovery. Further studies are necessary that examine technologies, which may reduce RLNP incidence and contribute to the early detection and treatment of RLNP.
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