212. robot assisted esophagectomy with extended mediastinal lymph node dissection

Abstract Background Radical surgical resection may play role in prognosis improvement of the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Because esophagectomy with radical lymphadenectomy is highly invasive, we introduced thoracoscopic esophagectomy in 1999, and have performed over 600 cases. In 2009, we developed a hybrid of the prone and left lateral decubitus positions for thoracoscopic esophagectomy with extended LN dissection and reported good long-term outcomes especially in cT1bN0M0 ESCC patients. We reported 3y and 5y RFS was 96% and 96%, and 3y and 5y OS was 94% and 92% in those patients. We introduced robot-assisted esophagectomy (RMIE) using daVinci Xi system in June 2018. We perform RMIE with the prone position instead of the hybrid position with same concept of thoracoscopic esophagectomy with extended LN dissection. Thanks to a three-dimensional magnified view, fully wristed dexterity and tremor filtration of da Vinci Xi system, the robotic system facilitates precise dissection especial for upper mediastinal lymph node dissection. We show safety introduction and technical pitfalls of robot-assisted esophagectomy with extended LN dissection. Methods: The patient is fixed on prone position. We use Monopolar curved scissors for superficial layer, bipolar cut for dissection with maryland bipolar forceps for deeper layer around Aorta and trachea, and Sharp dissection with Potts scissors around recurrent laryngeal nerves. After esophageal mobilization and mediastinal lymphadenectomy were completed, bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve, bilateral subclavian artery, trachea, bilateral bronchus, aorta, left pulmonary artery and vein, left pleura, pericardium and hiatus are all skeletonized. Results: We could standardize surgical procedure in first 20 cases. Average operation time in the thoracic procedure is 234.4 min and 195.6 min in last 30 cases. Median blood loss is 0 mL. Postoperative pneumonia and vocal cord palsy were occurred only 4 case in last 50 cases. Conclusion: Robot assisted esophagectomy with extended LN dissection was safely introduced in our facility and it is feasible and beneficial for the lymph node dissection especially for lymph node dissection around the recurrent laryngeal nerve.