@manish28, welcome. I'm tagging a few members like @bakerwd4 @dkoehne @jayb1123 @dave640 who may be able to share their experiences with surgery after chemoradiation.

At the moment, it sounds like your dad has options. Since your dad is just beginning chemoradiation, might you be able to see how he does in treatment before having to make a decision?

@manish28
Hi, from being with my wife through chemo radiation followed by Esophagectomy, I could make a a few suggestions based strictly on her experience:
1. Oncologists seem to know how much chemo radiation a patient can withstand. Don’t push beyond that.
2. Get your J-tube early (don’t wait until surgery) so that you can use it, as needed, to maintain strength and weight during chemo radiation. Also because, in case there’s a complication with the J-tube, you’ll be able to get that sorted out before surgery and not during surgical recovery.
3. Don’t get the surgery unless you’re going to get it at a high-volume hospital for Esophagectomy, such as Mayo/Richester. Others will do the operation but don’t have enough experience with the surgery or with the recovery.
4. The last two weeks of radiation and, especially, the two weeks following completion of radiation will probably be your 4 hardest weeks. Much harder, probably, than the operation or recovery from the operation. - You may be able to avoid this worst part by getting your J-tube early.
5. Everything after the operation has been manageable. - Many people live actively and happily afterwards although with some adjustments.

Wishing you and your father well,
Dave

@manish28 its a personal decision to make and everyone struggles coming to terms with loosing half your stomach and most your esophagus but dealing with chemo and radiation is no picnic.
Doc said he would reccomend surgery to his own father if he was in my shoes so I did and I am doing great now.

Good luck and Godspeed.