“…In conclusion, in recent years there have been many reports of video-assisted dissection of the esophagus [38][39][40][41] or even esophagogastric reconstruction 42 in combination with a standard open laparotomy to complete the esophagectomy, 43,44 as well as the transhiatal dissection technique 45 in experimental settings. These initial and other current series, which also combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic procedures, 46,47 confirmed that total laparoscopic and thoracoscopic esophagectomy could be safely executed and have provided an extensive array of experience in both minimally invasive and open esophageal surgery.…”