| Objective Controversy persists in regarding video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. The presnet study is therefore designed to assess the efficacy of video-assisted mini-thoracotomy esophagectomy compared with the routine 3-incision esophagectomy combined with cervical, mediastinal and abdominal lymph node dissection (three-field lymph node dissection,3-FLND).Methods Between June 2007 and Feb 2009,video-assisted mini-thoracotomy esophagectomy combined with three-field lymph node dissection was performed in 42 patients(VATS group) while 72 cases received routine thoracotomy three-field lymph node dissection (TH group)in thoracic esophageal carcinoma. The cancers were T1-T3. Dissection of the thoracic esophagus was performed via a right-sided approach,followed by a laparotomy and a cervical incision with the stomach used for reconstruction and anastomosis in the neck.Results There were no post-operative deaths in two groups. Mean harvested nodes were 11.6±3.5 nodes for VATS group and 11.8±3.7 nodes for TH group(P >0. 05). Mean blood loss of the thoracic component was 155.5±20.5 ml for VATS group and 182.5±21.0 ml for TH group(t = 6. 68,P < 0. 05). Average postoperative drainage of tube left in chest for three days was 450.69±53.04 ml for VATS group and 622.63±61.06 ml for TH group (t = 24.47,P < 0. 01). The chance of lung infection in VATS group was higher than that of TH group (13.89% vs 2.38%,P<0.05) . The incidence of recurrent nerve paralysis was 9.52% for VATS group and 11.11% for TH group(P>0.05).Conclusions Video-assisted mini-thoracotomy esophagectomy is a safe alternative method for the resection of thoracic esophageal carcinoma, the degree of trauma is reduced and the prospect is satisfying.
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