A considerable number of 36 extra patients (10.1%) experienced learning associated anastomotic leakage. More research is urgently needed to investigate how learning associated morbidity can be reduced to increase patient safety during learning curves.

Quilting is an effective method for preventing seroma and its complications.

Ivor Lewis TMIE is associated with a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage, 90-day mortality and other postoperative morbidity compared to McKeown TMIE in patients in whom both procedures are oncologically feasible.

MIE with IEA was associated with better functional results than MIE with CEA with less dysphagia, less benign anastomotic strictures requiring fewer dilatations, and a lower incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Other postoperative morbidity and mortality did not differ between the groups.

for the ICAN collaborative research group BACKGROUND Transthoracic minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is increasingly performed as part of curative multimodality treatment. There appears to be no robust evidence on the preferred location of the anastomosis after transthoracic MIE.OBJECTIVE To compare an intrathoracic with a cervical anastomosis in a randomized clinical trial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis open, multicenter randomized clinical superiority trial was performed at 9 Dutch high-volume hospitals. Patients with midesophageal to distal esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer planned for curative resection were included. Data collection occurred from April 2016 through February 2020.INTERVENTION Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to transthoracic MIE with intrathoracic or cervical anastomosis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe primary end point was anastomotic leakage requiring endoscopic, radiologic, or surgical intervention. Secondary outcomes were overall anastomotic leak rate, other postoperative complications, length of stay, mortality, and quality of life.RESULTS Two hundred sixty-two patients were randomized, and 245 were eligible for analysis. Anastomotic leakage necessitating reintervention occurred in 15 of 122 patients with intrathoracic anastomosis (12.3%) and in 39 of 123 patients with cervical anastomosis (31.7%; risk difference, −19.4% [95% CI, −29.5% to −9.3%]). Overall anastomotic leak rate was 12.3% in the intrathoracic anastomosis group and 34.1% in the cervical anastomosis group (risk difference, −21.9% [95% CI, −32.1% to −11.6%]). Intensive care unit length of stay, mortality rates, and overall quality of life were comparable between groups, but intrathoracic anastomosis was associated with fewer severe complications (risk difference, −11.3% [−20.4% to −2.2%]), lower incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (risk difference, −7.3% [95% CI, −12.1% to −2.5%]), and better quality of life in 3 subdomains (mean differences: dysphagia, −12.2 [95% CI, −19.6 to −4.7]; problems of choking when swallowing, −10.3 [95% CI, −16.4 to 4.2]; trouble with talking, −15.3 [95% CI, −22.9 to −7.7]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this randomized clinical trial, intrathoracic anastomosis resulted in better outcome for patients treated with transthoracic MIE for midesophageal to distal esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION Trialregister.nl Identifier: NL4183 (NTR4333)