Robotic Esophagectomy

Esophagectomy is a complex procedure used in the treatment of malignant and some end-stage benign esophageal conditions. With a long history in clinical applications of over 100 years, multiple modifications of the procedure developed, including establishment of the 3 most common approaches, Ivor Lewis esophagectomy, McKeown esophagectomy, and transhiatal esophagectomy. Since the introduction of minimally invasive techniques at the end of the last century, different modifications of initially thoracoscopic and laparoscopic and later on robotic approaches enjoyed rapid adoption in this field, all in the attempt to minimize morbidity and mortality of the esophagectomy. In this chapter, the authors describe the techniques of robotic esophagectomy and review the current literature on the subject, including postoperative management and management of the complications of the procedure.