Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40369282›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2025

Performing robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy for patients with a narrow mediastinum and left-shifted esophagus for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma presents further challenges.

Yasufumi Koterazawa, Hironobu Goto, Tomoaki Aoki, Ryuichiro Sawada, Taro Ikeda, Hitoshi Harada, Yasunori Otowa, Naoki Urakawa, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Shingo Kanaji and 4 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Yasufumi KoterazawaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan. ya.kote1128@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
Hironobu GotoDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Tomoaki AokiDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Ryuichiro SawadaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Taro IkedaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Hitoshi HaradaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Yasunori OtowaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Naoki UrakawaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Hiroshi HasegawaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Shingo KanajiDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Kimihiro YamashitaDivision of Analytical Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biophysics, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe City, Hyogo, Japan.
Takeru MatsudaDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.
Taro OshikiriDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon City, Ehime, Japan.
Yoshihiro KakejiDivision of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe City, 650-0017, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeveral studies have compared robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) with conventional minimally invasive surgery (C-MIE). However, the anatomical factors that may make certain patients more suitable for RAMIE remains unclear. This study compared the surgical outcomes of RAMIE with those of C-MIE in patients with narrow mediastinum and left-shifted esophagus.

methodsBetween January 2017 and December 2023, 260 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who underwent MIE (C-MIE or RAMIE) at Kobe University Hospital were included in the study. We developed a new index to assess the narrow mediastinum and left-shifted esophagus at the tracheal bifurcation level using computed tomography imaging. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors.

resultsPatients with a narrow mediastinum and left-shifted esophagus had a higher incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy and fewer lymph nodes dissections than other patients (p = 0.026 and p = 0.051, respectively). In the entire cohort, the operative time in the RAMIE group was longer than that in the C-MIE group (< 0.0001). No significant differences in other variables, including RLN palsy, were observed between the two groups. Among patients with narrow mediastinum and left-shifted esophagus, RAMIE was associated with longer operative time and fewer lymph nodes dissected from the left and right sides of the upper mediastinum compared to C-MIE (p < 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.0001, respectively). Regarding the RLN palsy, there was no significant difference (p = 0.79).

conclusionsThere are challenges in performing RAMIE in patients with a narrow mediastinal and left-shifted esophagus. Therefore, establishing an effective procedure for these patients is important.

Indexed as

Esophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaEsophagectomyMediastinumRobotic Surgical ProceduresAgedEsophagusFemaleHumansLymph Node ExcisionMaleMiddle AgedMinimally Invasive Surgical ProceduresOperative TimePostoperative ComplicationsRecurrent Laryngeal Nerve InjuriesCMIELeft-shifted esophagusNarrow mediastinumRAMIE

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.