Clinical significance of mediastinoscope-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer

Purpose Mediastinoscope-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy (MATHE) is a useful surgical procedure in esophageal cancer patients who have limited indications for transthoracic operations due to preoperative complications. Methods In the last 10 years, 63 patients underwent MATHE at our department. We examined the clinical data of these patients and assessed the indications, postoperative outcomes, and prognostic factors of MATHE. Results The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 53.4 %, and disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 66.0 %. Postoperative complications were observed in 22 cases (34.9 %), and recurrent disease occurred in 17 cases (27.0 %). On univariate analyses of OS, location of the tumor, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, simultaneous resection of other organs, postoperative pneumonia, and blood loss were significant prognostic factors. On multivariate analyses, location of the tumor and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors of OS. On univariate analyses, location of the tumor, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and blood loss were significant prognostic factors of DFS, while on multivariate analyses of DFS, lymph node metastasis and blood loss were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion MATHE is a useful procedure for the middle to lower thoracic esophageal cancer patients without clinical lymph node metastasis with serious complications who were unable to undergo thoracotomy.