The Contemporary Role of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy in Esophageal Cancer

Open surgical resection via transhiatal or transthoracic, including McKeown, access is the most viable option for curing esophageal cancer; however, the extensive nature of open surgery in both the chest and abdomen results in significant rates of morbidity and mortality. A natural response was the introduction of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) and, later, endoscopic resection. In the hands of experienced surgeons, MIE can achieve equivalent or better perioperative mortality, morbidity, and oncologic outcomes as compared to open surgery. This review starts with an overview of open esophagectomy before delving into the evolving body of evidence on MIE outcomes and practices.