Modular Robot-Assisted Versus Conventional Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

Prior treatment

• Severe coagulation dysfunction that precludes surgery;
• Participation in another clinical study during its observation period, or previous participation in a clinical study that, in the investigator's judgment, may potentially affect the outcomes of this study;

Other illness

• History of thoracic surgery or thoracic trauma;
• History of extensive intra-abdominal adhesions, severe systemic infection, or metastatic disease;
• History of other malignancies, except for cured low-risk tumors such as basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, superficial bladder cancer, carcinoma in situ of the prostate, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix;
• History of gastric surgery or inability to undergo gastric conduit reconstruction for esophageal replacement;
• Significant dysfunction of other organ systems or comorbidities, including severe cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, hepatic, or renal dysfunction, that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes tolerance of surgery;
• Uncontrolled epilepsy or psychiatric disorders, inability to understand study requirements, or inability to complete the planned follow-up;
• Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the patient unsuitable for participation in this study.

Other

• Body mass index (BMI) \<18.5 kg/m²;

• Age ≥18 years, regardless of sex;
• Histologically confirmed resectable malignant esophageal tumor, without invasion of adjacent vital organs and without evidence of distant metastasis on imaging examinations (including at least one of MRI, PET-CT, or CT);
• Patients may have received neoadjuvant therapy;
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent.