Objective To evaluate the accuracy and investigate the influence factors of preoperative T staging by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in patients with postoperative pathological stage of T2 esophageal carcinoma (EC). Methods A total of 206 patients with EC underwent EUS and curative operation in Henan Tumor Hospital from March 2015 to January 2016 were enrolled, among whom 81 patients were identified with pathological stage of T2 EC followed by esophageal resection without induction therapy. There were 59 males and 22 females, with a mean age of 63.9 years and meadian age of 63.0 years. We reviewed the medical records of the 81 patients and compared EUS findings with histopathologic results according to clinicopathologic factors. Results The overall accuracy of EUS for evaluating staging of T2 EC was 61.7% (50/81), while 38.3% (31/81) were overstaged by EUS. Accuracy differed between the accurate staging group and over staging group (P=0.023). There was no significant difference in sex, age, tumor location and shape, histologic type, tumor differentiation or lymph node metastasis between two groups. Conclusion EUS is highly overstaged in the diagnosis of postoperative pathological stage of T2 EC. Higher postoperative pathological TNM stage appears to be a factor of EUS overstaging in patients with postoperative pathological stage of T2 EC.
ObjectiveTo investigate the learning curve of non-tube and early oral feeding procedure following McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). MethodsWe analyzed the clinical data of 38 patients (26 males, 12 females, aged 42–79 years) with esophageal cancer who received non-tube and early oral feeding procedure after surgery at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou University from November 2017 to August 2018. They suffered upper thoracic esophageal cancer (n=4), middle thoracic esophageal cancer (n=22) or lower thoracic esophageal cancer (n=12). ResultsMcKeown MIE was successfully performed on 38 patients. Oral feeding began 1.7 (1-4) days after surgery in the 38 patients with non-tube. Pneumonia/atelectasis occurred in 5 patients (13.1%), respiratory failure in 1 patient (2.6%), arrhythmia in 3 patients (7.9%), hoarseness in 5 patients (13.1%), anastomotic fistula in 1 patient (2.6%), cervical incision infection in 1 patient (2.6%), pneumomediastinum and infection in 1 patient (2.6%) and gastric emptying disorder in 2 patients (5.2%). No death was observed. After 26 patients with McKeown MIE were treated with enhanced recovery after surgery procedure, the operation time and complications could reach a relatively stable state and entered a plateau phase of learning curve. ConclusionNon-tube and early oral feeding procedure following MIE is technically safe and feasible. It can shorten hospital stay, relieve the discomfort of placement of nasogastric and nutrition tube and may reduce the incidence of complications. The learning curve of non-tube and early oral feeding procedure following MIE is about 26 cases.