To investigate the application value of enhanced recovery after surgery with no gastrointestinal decompression tube and with early postoperative oral feeding in minimally invasive radical resection of esophageal cancer.

The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 126 patients who underwent minimally invasive McKeown surgery in the General Hospital of Southern Theatre Command of PLA between March 2016 and October 2017 were collected. There were 80 males and 46 females, aged from 52 to 82 years, with an average age of 64 years. Of 126 patients, 82 undergoing "li′s anastomosis" with no gastrointestinal decompression tube and receiving early postoperative oral feeding were allocated into non-tube no fasting group, and 44 undergoing end-to-side gastroesophageal anastomosis with tubular stapler, conventionally indwelling gastrointestinal decompression tube, and beginning oral feeding at 1 week after surgery were allocated into traditional treatment group. Observation indicators: (1) surgical and postoperative recovery situations; (2) results of pathological examination; (3) follow-up. Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect the postoperative tumor recurrence and metastasis up to October 2018. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were expressed as M (range), and comparison between groups was analyzed by rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute number or percentage, and comparison between groups was analyzed using chi-square test. Ordinal data were analyzed by rank sum test.

(1) Surgical and postoperative recovery situations: patients in the two groups underwent minimally invasive McKeown surgery successfully. Operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, incidence of anastomotic fistula, incidence of pulmonary complications, and duration of postoperative hospital stay were respectively (326±41)minutes, (225±96)ml, 7.3%(6/82), 24.4%(20/82), and 10 days(range, 6-90 days)in the non-tube no fasting group and (317±37)minutes, (214±66)mL, 9.1%(4/44), 20.5%(9/44), and 14 days (range, 10-42 days) in the traditional treatment group; there was a statistically significant difference in duration of postoperative hospital stay between the two groups (Z=-7.129, P<0.05) and no statistically significant difference in operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, incidence of anastomotic fistula, and incidence of pulmonary complications between the two groups (t=1.311, 0.703, χ²=0.000, 0.077, P>0.05). (2) Results of pathological examination: the number of lymph node dissected, cases in postoperative TNM stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were respectively 27±5, 12, 55, 15 in the non-tube no fasting group and 26±5, 9, 28, 7 in the traditional treatment group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (t=0.549, Z=-0.747, P>0.05). (3) Follow-up: of 126 patients, 116 were followed up for 12-31 months, with a median time of 20 months, including 76 in the non-tube no fasting group and 40 in the traditional treatment group. During the follow-up, no tumor recurrence or metastasis was found in the 116 patients.

The enhanced recovery after surgery with no gastrointestinal decompression tube and with early postoperative oral feeding is safe and feasible in the McKeown surgery, which can significantly shorten the postoperative hospitalization time compared with the traditional treatment.

Esophageal neoplasms; Esophageal cancer; No gastrointestinal decompression tube; Early oral feeding; Enhanced recovery after surgery; Minimally invasive; Duration of postoperative hospital stay