Minimally Invasive Oesophagectomy

Increased experience in laparoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques has led to the development of Minimally Invasive Oesophagectomy (MIO) in order to decrease the associated morbidity. The term MIO has been used to describe totally minimally invasive surgery or hybrid operations whereby either the thoracic or abdominal component being performed endoscopically. The advantages of MIO are that there is less tissue trauma and hence better recovery. Cuschieri, et al. in 1992 were one of the first to describe their experience in thoracoscopic mobilisation of the oesophagus thus avoiding a thoracotomy.3 Since their experience there has been a plethora of case control series describing both totally minimally invasive and hybrid oesophagectomies.