Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42209859›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026

Initial clinical outcomes of uniportal robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy.

Ting-Fang Kuo, Pei-Ming Huang, Ke-Cheng Chen, Mong-Wei Lin, Shuenn-Wen Kuo, Jang-Ming Lee

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

6 authors.

Ting-Fang Kuo *Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.
Pei-Ming Huang *Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.
Ke-Cheng ChenDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.
Mong-Wei LinDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.
Shuenn-Wen KuoDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan.
Jang-Ming LeeDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, 100225, Taiwan. jangminglee@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9727-227X

Funding

Ministry of Health and Welfare MOHW114-TDU-B-221-114006Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan NSTC114-2314-B-002 -236
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRobotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy has improved perioperative outcomes; increased surgical proficiency has promoted interest in uniportal techniques. We aimed to evaluate the perioperative and short-term outcomes of a novel uniportal robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy performed through an intercostal incision using the da Vinci Xi system.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent uniportal robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy between September 2024 and July 2025. The primary outcome was the complete resection rate with microscopically negative margins (R0). Secondary outcomes included perioperative and short-term outcomes, including operative time, lymph node yield, blood loss, conversion rate, postoperative pain scores, opioid requirements, complication rates, chest tube duration, and hospital stay.

resultsTwenty-one patients (median age, 64 years; 86% male) underwent uniportal robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histology (81%); 62% had stage III-IV disease, and 71% received neoadjuvant therapy. The McKeown and Ivor-Lewis procedures were performed in 52% and 48% of cases, respectively; complete resection was achieved in 95%. The median console time, lymph node yield, and blood loss were 155 min, 34, and 450 mL, respectively. One patient (5%) required conversion to thoracoscopic surgery. The postoperative pain scores were consistently low. The median chest tube duration and postoperative hospital stay were 5.5 and 15.0 days, respectively. Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher complications occurred in 29% of the patients, with no 90-day mortality.

conclusionUniportal robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy is safe and feasible, with acceptable perioperative and short-term outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer.

Indexed as

Esophageal NeoplasmsEsophagectomyRobotic Surgical ProceduresAgedBlood Loss, SurgicalFemaleHumansLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedMinimally Invasive Surgical ProceduresOperative TimePostoperative ComplicationsPostoperative PainRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeMinimally invasive esophagectomyRobotic-assisted surgeryUniportal

Identifiers

PMID42209859
PMCPMC13387079

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.