I've chatted with a few cardiothiracic surgeons, and hundreds of my fellow EC patients. There are a few ways esophagectomies are performed. Some methods are dictated by the solid esophageal tumor type and location, some are used based on a patient's previous surgeries and scar tissue to navigate around, and some are used because that's what your surgeon knows best and is comfortable performing for a successful outcome. It would be incorrect to think every surgeon can perform all methods of esophagectomy as they simply aren't trained and experienced enough to do so. Whether it's the use of robotics... or their preference to open the patient up more to see the lymph nodes and esophagus to be removed... just a preference of each surgeon. Certainly what matters most is your surgeon is quite proficient at performing your esophagectomy perfectly! It is a crazy complex surgery to get the new stomaphagus "hanging right"... no twists and turns, the right amount of tension on the anastomosis and the pylorus, and to have no anastomotic leaks. Only the most skilled surgeons need apply... this is a much tougher surgery than open heart surgery!

How do you do a non-invasive Ivor-Lewis with three major incisions? Seems pretty invasive to me!