Objective To improve esophageal lymph node staging and investgate an ideal esophageal lymph node metastasis staging method. Methods The clinical pathological data and followup data of the 236patients who had undergone thoracic esophagectomy with at least 6 lymph nodes (LN) removed from January 1985 to December 1989 were analyzed retrospectively. Cox proportional hazard model was used to screen risk factors, and Logrank test was applied to perform survival analysis according to lymph node metastasis staging (number, distance and extent). Results The 10-year follow-up rate was 92.3%（218/236）. The overall 1-year, 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 80.2%, 43.1% and 34.2% respectively. One hundred and twelve (47.4%) patients had LN metastasis, and their 5-year survival rates were lower than that of patients without LN metastasis (14.8% vs. 66.6%; χ2=77.18, P=0.000). Cox regression analysis showed that besides depth of invasion, differentiation grade and LN metastasis, the number, distance and extent of LN metastasis were the independent risk factors which could influence prognosis. A further analysis was given via univariate Logrank test. When grouped according to the number of LN metastasis, there were significant differences in overall survival rates (χ2=96.00,P=0.000), but no significant difference was found in survival rates between N2 and N3 group(Pgt;0.05). When grouped according to the distance of LN metastasis, there were significant differences in overall survival rates (χ2=79.29, P=0.000), but no significant difference was found in survival rates among S1, S2 and S3 group(Pgt;0.05). When grouped according to the extent of LN metastasis (0, 1, and ≥2 fields), there were significant differences in overall survival rates (χ2=87.47, P=0.000), and so were the survival rates among groups (χ2=5.14, P=0.023). Conclusion Revising the current Nclassification of TNM staging of esophageal cancer according to the extent of LN metastasis(0, 1, and ≥2 fields) is more reasonable, and can reflect the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer after esophagectomy better.
ObjectiveTo summarize the surgical learning curve and evaluate the effectiveness, safety and feasibility of the robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) by comparing with the conventional vedio-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsThe clinical data of 40 patients receiving robotic assisted thoracoscopic anatomic lung resection from March to June 2016 in our department were reviewed. There were 29 males and 11 females with the age of 54-78 (60.2±12.7) years in the RATS group, and 27 males and 10 females with the age of 52-76 (58.7±11.5) years in the VATS group. Lung space-occupying lesions were comfirmed by preoperative diagnosis. The operative time, blood loss, chest tube retention time, postoperative hospital stay and perioperative morbidity and mortality were analyzed. The safety and feasibility were evaluated, and the learning curve was summed up.ResultsOperative time, postoperative ventilation time, intraoperative blood loss, chest tube retention time, postoperative pain, average hospital stay, postoperative complication rate between two groups were not statistically significant. In the RATS group preoperative preparation time was longer than that of the VATS group (24.5 min vs. 15.6 min, P=0.003), and the rate of conversion to thoracotomy of the RATS group was lower than that of the VATS group (0 vs. 10.8%). There was no perioperative death in two groups.ConclusionRobotic-assisted thoracic surgery is safe and effective in the early learning process, and the learning curve can be entered into the standard stage from the learning stage after initial 10 operations.