Safety and feasibility of three-dimensional McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy

Background To compare the perioperative outcomes from McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) when performed in three-dimensional versus two-dimensional visualization system, and investigate the learning curve of a single surgeon who implemented three-dimensional McKeown MIE. Methods A total of 335 consecutive cases (three-dimensional or two-dimensional) were identified. Perioperative clinical parameters were compared and cumulative sum learning curve was plotted. Propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias from confounding factors. Results Patients in three-dimensional group were associated with more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23.9% vs 3.0%, p