Minimally invasive I vor– L ewis oesophagectomy is a feasible and safe approach for patients with oesophageal cancer

Background Minimally invasive approaches are increasingly being used in oesophagectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the short‐term clinical outcomes of the minimally invasive I vor– L ewis oesophagectomy ( MIILE ) technique with those of the open I vor– L ewis oesophagectomy ( OILE ) technique. Methods We identified 131 patients who underwent MIILE combined with thoracoscopy and laparoscopy. These patients were compared with 248 patients who underwent OILE between J anuary 2012 and D ecember 2013. Results MIILE and OILE produced similar post‐operative hospital mortality ( MIILE 2.3 versus OILE 2%; P = 1.000). The MIILE approach was associated with a significant decrease in the time until chest drain removal ( MIILE 9.07 ± 5.075 days versus OILE 11.26 ± 6.989 days; P = 0.002) and post‐operative length of stay ( MIILE 10.89 ± 4.976 days versus OILE 12.83 ± 6.921 days; P = 0.002). Pneumonia was the most common complication in both groups. MIILE patients exhibited a lower incidence of post‐operative pneumonia ( MIILE 17.6% versus OILE 28.2%; P = 0.024) compared with OILE . The survival rate did not significantly differ between the MIILE and OILE groups (1‐year survival rates: MIILE 86 versus OILE 88.2%; P = 0.537). Conclusions In this study, we demonstrate that MIILE is a feasible and safe approach for patients with middle or lower oesophageal cancer.