University of Wisconsin Cardiovascular Surgery: Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

Introduction

Your esophagus is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach. Your esophagus, like the rest of your body, is made up of cells. Some of these cells can grow into tumors. These tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2005, about 13,570 people in the United States will die from esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer can spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, brain, and bones.

Esophagectomy means removing the cancerous part of the esophagus through surgery. It is the primary way to treat cancer of the esophagus if it has not spread.

The University of Wisconsin offers a new less invasive type of surgery for esophageal cancer. This new procedure is called a laparoscopic thorocoscopic minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE).

anatomy