Compared with open esophagectomy, hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy (HMIE) — i.e., thoracotomy plus laparoscopic gastric mobilization — was associated with improved long-term survival in esophageal cancer, according to a follow-up study of a randomized French trial.
The difference is likely due to decreased postoperative complications, speculated the researchers, led by Frederiek Nuytens, MD, of Hôpital Claude Huriez in Lille.