Trends in the evolution to robot-assisted minimally invasive thoracoscopic esophagectomy

Abstract

Much effort has been made to improve outcomes and/or minimize the invasiveness of esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer. This has led to the evolution from open esophagectomy to thoracoscopic minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE), and from MIE to robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE). RAMIE is being applied clinically to overcome the limitations of MIE. In this article, we review the trends in the evolution from thoracoscopic MIE to RAMIE. It has now been demonstrated that RAMIE is both safe and feasible, and may decrease morbidity and mortality rates associated with esophagectomy and improve oncological outcomes. On the other hand, there are still many problems that need to be solved.

Keywords

Esophagectomy / esophageal cancer / robot-assisted esophagectomy / thoracoscopic esophagectomy

References

[1] Torre LA,Ward EM.Global cancer incidence and mortality rates and trends--an update..Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev2016;25:16-27

[2] Hulscher JB,de Boer AG,Tijssen JG.Extended transthoracic resection compared with limited transhiatal resection for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus..N Engl J Med2002;347:1662-9

[3] Takeuchi H,Gotoh M,Baba H.A risk model for esophagectomy using data of 5354 patients included in a Japanese nationwide web-based database..Ann Surg2014;260:259-66

[4] Chen MF,Lai CH,Chen WC.Outcome of patients with esophageal cancer: a nationwide analysis..Ann Surg Oncol2013;20:3023-30

[5] Kato H.Treatments for esophageal cancer: a review..Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2013;61:330-5

[6] Cuschieri A,Banting S.Endoscopic oesophagectomy through a right thoracoscopic approach..J R Coll Surg Edinb1992;37:7-11

[7] van Hillegersberg R,Draaisma WA,Giezeman MJ.First experience with robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagolymphadenectomy for esophageal cancer..Surg Endosc2006;20:1435-9

[8] Kingma BF,van der Horst S,Ruurda JP.Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) improves perioperative outcomes: a review..J Thorac Dis2019;11:S735-42 PMCID:PMC6503269

[9] Marescaux J,Gagner M,Mutter D.Transatlantic robot-assisted telesurgery..Nature2001;413:379-80

[10] Talamini MA,Horgan S.A prospective analysis of 211 robotic-assisted surgical procedures..Surg Endosc2003;17:1521-4

[11] DePaula AL,Ferreira EA,Grecco E.Laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy with esophagogastroplasty..Surg Laparosc Endosc1995;5:1-5

[12] Kernstine KH,Karimi M,Campos JH.The robotic, 2-stage, 3-field esophagolymphadenectomy..J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2004;127:1847-9

[13] Luketich JD,Buenaventura PO,McCaughan JS.Minimally invasive esophagectomy: outcomes in 222 patients..Ann Surg2003;238:486-94; discussion 494-5 PMCID:PMC1360107

[14] Biere SS,Maas KW,Rosman C.Minimally invasive versus open oesophagectomy for patients with oesophageal cancer: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial..Lancet2012;379:1887-92

[15] van der Sluis PC,Liakakos T.Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy..Dig Surg2020;37:93-100

[16] Maas KW,van Hoogstraten IM,Cuesta MA.Immunological changes after minimally invasive or conventional esophageal resection for cancer: a randomized trial..World J Surg2014;38:131-7

[17] Straatman J,Cuesta MA,Roig Garcia J.Minimally invasive versus open esophageal resection: three-year follow-up of the previously reported randomized controlled trial: the TIME trial..Ann Surg2017;266:232-6

[18] van Workum F,Berkelmans GHK,van Berge Henegouwen MI.Learning curve and associated morbidity of minimally invasive esophagectomy: a retrospective multicenter study..Ann Surg2019;269:88-94

[19] Takeuchi H,Ozawa S,Osugi H.Comparison of short-term outcomes between open and minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer using a nationwide database in Japan..Ann Surg Oncol2017;24:1821-7

[20] Sihag S,Gaissert HA,Schipper PH.Minimally invasive versus open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a comparison of early surgical outcomes from the society of thoracic surgeons national database..Ann Thorac Surg2016;101:1281-8; discussion 1288-9

[21] Seesing MFJ,Goense L,Kroon HM.A propensity score matched analysis of open versus minimally invasive transthoracic esophagectomy in the netherlands..Ann Surg2017;266:839-46

[22] Mamidanna R,Aylin P,Hanna GB.Short-term outcomes following open versus minimally invasive esophagectomy for cancer in England: a population-based national study..Ann Surg2012;255:197-203

[23] Haverkamp L,Ruurda JP,V Hillegersberg R.Worldwide trends in surgical techniques in the treatment of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer..Dis Esophagus2017;30:1-7

[24] Briez N,Bonnetain G,Carrere N.Open versus laparoscopically-assisted oesophagectomy for cancer: a multicentre randomised controlled phase III trial - the MIRO trial..BMC Cancer,2011;11:310 PMCID:PMC3156811

[25] Messager M,Duhamel A,Piessen G.Laparoscopic gastric mobilization reduces postoperative mortality after esophageal cancer surgery: a french nationwide study..Ann Surg2015;262:817-22; discussion 822-3

[26] Mariette C,Dabakuyo-Yonli TS,Pezet D.Hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer..N Engl J Med2019;380:152-62

[27] Bonavina L,Aiolfi A,Sironi A.Early outcome of thoracoscopic and hybrid esophagectomy: propensity-matched comparative analysis..Surgery2016;159:1073-81

[28] Grimminger PP,Hadzijusufovic E,Babic B.Change from hybrid to fully minimally invasive and robotic esophagectomy is possible without compromises..Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2019;67:589-96

[29] Biebl M,Chopra S,Pratschke J.Upper gastrointestinal surgery: robotic surgery versus laparoscopic procedures for esophageal malignancy..Visc Med2018;34:10-5 PMCID:PMC5869581

[30] Weksler B.Survival after esophagectomy: a propensity-matched study of different surgical approaches..Ann Thorac Surg2017;104:1138-46

[31] van der Sluis PC,May AM,Brosens LAA.Robot-assisted minimally invasive thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy versus open transthoracic esophagectomy for resectable esophageal cancer: a randomized controlled trial..Ann Surg2019;269:621-30

[32] Yun JK,Gong CS,Kim HR.Clinical utility of robot-assisted transthoracic esophagectomy in advanced esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy..J Thorac Dis2019;11:2913-23 PMCID:PMC6688028

[33] Yun JK,Kim HJ,Gong CS.Comparative outcomes of robot-assisted minimally invasive versus open esophagectomy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-weighted analysis..Dis Esophagus2020;33:doz071

[34] van der Horst S,van der Sluis PC,van Hillegersberg R.Extended thoracic lymph node dissection in robotic-assisted minimal invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) for patients with superior mediastinal lymph node metastasis..Ann Cardiothorac Surg2019;8:218-25 PMCID:PMC6462563

[35] Visser E,Ruurda JP.Impact of lymph node yield on overall survival in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy for cancer: a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands..Ann Surg2017;266:863-9

[36] Nagpal K,Vats A,James D.Is minimally invasive surgery beneficial in the management of esophageal cancer? A meta-analysis..Surg Endosc2010;24:1621-9

[37] Sgourakis G,Radtke A,Timm S.Minimally invasive versus open esophagectomy: meta-analysis of outcomes..Dig Dis Sci2010;55:3031-40

[38] Guo W,Yang S,Qin W.Combined thoracoscopic-laparoscopic esophagectomy versus open esophagectomy: a meta-analysis of outcomes..Surg Endosc2016;30:3873-81

[39] Weksler B,Moudgill N,Rosato EL.Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy is equivalent to thoracoscopic minimally invasive esophagectomy..Dis Esophagus2012;25:403-9

[40] Suda K,Kawamura Y,Kanaya S.Robot-assisted thoracoscopic lymphadenectomy along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the prone position: technical report and short-term outcomes..World J Surg2012;36:1608-16

[41] Zhang Y,Gan Q,Jin R.Early outcomes of robot-assisted versus thoracoscopic-assisted ivor lewis esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a propensity score-matched study..Ann Surg Oncol2019;26:1284-91

[42] Park S,Lee HJ,Kim YT.Comparison of robot-assisted esophagectomy and thoracoscopic esophagectomy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma..J Thorac Dis2016;8:2853-61 PMCID:PMC5107444

[43] Park SY,Do YW,Lee S.The oncologic outcome of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy with total mediastinal lymphadenectomy..Ann Thorac Surg2017;103:1151-7

[44] Motoyama S,Wakita A,Nagaki Y.Extensive lymph node dissection around the left laryngeal nerve achieved with robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy..Anticancer Res2019;39:1337-42

[45] Deng HY,Li SX,Alai G.Does robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy really have the advantage of lymphadenectomy over video-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy in treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma? A propensity score-matched analysis based on short-term outcomes..Dis Esophagus2019;32:doy110

[46] Tagkalos E,Hoppe-Lotichius M,Babic B.Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) compared to conventional minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer: a propensity-matched analysis..Dis Esophagus2020;33:doz060

[47] Park SY,Kang DR.Learning curve for robotic esophagectomy and dissection of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve nodes for esophageal cancer..Dis Esophagus,2017;30:1-9

[48] Cerfolio RJ,Hawn MT.Robotic esophagectomy for cancer: early results and lessons learned..Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2016;28:160-9

[49] Wang F,Zheng Y,Geng Y.Intrathoracic side-to-side esophagogastrostomy with a linear stapler and barbed suture in robot-assisted Ivor Lewis esophagectomy..J Surg Oncol2019;120:1142-7 PMCID:PMC6899854

[50] Wang Z,Wang F.Robot-assisted esophagogastric reconstruction in minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy..J Thorac Dis2019;11:1860-6 PMCID:PMC6588751

[51] Noshiro H,Ikeda O,Nabae T.Triangulating stapling technique for esophagogastrostomy after minimally invasive esophagectomy..Surgery2013;154:604-10

[52] Han Y,Li H.Application of different intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis in surgery for esophageal cancer..Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi2018;21:995-1000(in Chinese)

[53] Montenovo MI,Pellegrini CA.Outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and esophago-gastric junction..Dis Esophagus2011;24:430-6

[54] DeLong JC,Jacobsen GR,Horgan S.The benefits and limitations of robotic assisted transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer..J Vis Surg2016;2:156 PMCID:PMC5637870

[55] Yoshimura S,Yamagata Y,Yagi K.Quality of life after robot-assisted transmediastinal radical surgery for esophageal cancer..Surg Endosc2018;32:2249-54 PMCID:PMC5897479

[56] Mori K,Aikou S,Kiyokawa T.Short-term outcomes of robotic radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer by a nontransthoracic approach compared with conventional transthoracic surgery..Dis Esophagus2016;29:429-34 PMCID:PMC5132031

[57] Baudouin SV.Lung injury after thoracotomy..Br J Anaesth2003;91:132-42

[58] Zhu Y,Liu L.Application of full lateral decubitus position with cephalic parallel approach in robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy..J Thorac Dis2019;11:3250-6 PMCID:PMC6753444

[59] Palanivelu C,Senthilkumar R,Parthasarathi R.Minimally invasive esophagectomy: thoracoscopic mobilization of the esophagus and mediastinal lymphadenectomy in prone position--experience of 130 patients..J Am Coll Surg2006;203:7-16

[60] Ruurda JP,van der Horst S.Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a systematic review..J Surg Oncol2015;112:257-65

[61] Markar SR,Antonowicz S,Hanna GB.Minimally invasive esophagectomy: lateral decubitus vs. prone positioning; systematic review and pooled analysis..Surg Oncol2015;24:212-9

[62] Seesing MFJ,Ruurda JP,Nieuwenhuijzen GAP.Minimally invasive esophagectomy: a propensity score-matched analysis of semiprone versus prone position..Surg Endosc2018;32:2758-65 PMCID:PMC5956092