Robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the esophagus: A case report

Abstract

Introduction A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) often arises in the stomach and small intestine, while esophageal GIST is rare. The first-choice treatment is surgical resection, but there is no standard technique. Herein, we describe our experience in the treatment of esophageal GIST and discuss the usefulness of robotic esophagectomy. Presentation of case The patient was a 60-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with a 30 mm GIST in the middle thoracic esophagus. We underwent robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position. The duration of the thoracoscopic part was 69 min and the total operation time was 319 min. Total blood loss was 135 ml. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful after surgery and the patient was discharged home in good condition on the 18th postoperative day. Discussion The prognosis of esophageal GIST was less favorable compared with gastric GIST, and due to the anatomical peculiarities of the esophagus, which surgical procedure should be performed is still under debate. Robotic surgery has several technological advantages as it provides a three-dimensional view, ten times magnification, tremor control, and ambidexterity. Therefore, Robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) allows achieving for safe R0 resection of esophageal GIST. Conclusion RAMIE may be useful for esophageal GIST because it facilitates safe and minimally invasive surgery in a limited space of the thoracic cavity.

Robotic-assisted surgical enucleation of esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumor

“…We performed a literature review of the PubMed database using the keywords: esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumor and robotic returning 3 results. A 2021 case report by Yamamoto and colleagues E1 describes the treatment of esophageal GIST with the use of robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy. A 2022 single-center case series reports the use of robotic-assisted surgery in 6 patients with esophageal submucosal tumors.…”