The Mount Sinai Health System’s esophagectomy program has received a three-star (excellent performance) overall composite score from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). According to STS, 13 institutions in the United States and Canada hold the three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, for esophagectomy surgery. The esophagectomy overall performance score represents two domain scores in a single number: absence of both operative mortality and major morbidity.
Esophagectomy is the main surgical treatment of esophageal cancer. Mount Sinai’s esophagectomies incorporate a surgical innovation by Raja Flores, MD, Chair of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System, who pioneered a simple yet effective change in the surgical approach.
Raja Flores, MD
“I’m surprised and honored at the recognition our department has received from the STS,” Dr. Flores said. “Surprised because it has been my hope that surgeons at other institutions would adopt our modification, which simply involves switching the juncture site between the stomach and the esophagus to promote better blood flow between the two organs.” Dr. Flores described the revision in an article in the Journal of Surgical Oncology.1
A Surgical Advance
The revised procedure is less invasive than conventional esophagectomy, causes less trauma, and reduces complications such as leaking or obstruction. It also decreases the average surgical time from 7 to 2.5 hours, according to the journal article.
Dr. Flores hopes his approach will continue to move the field forward. “It’s not about whether you use a robot or laser or some other tool,” he said. “Focusing on the fine points of an operation is what actually gets rid of the cancer and helps ensure that the patient will recover without a complication.”
REFERENCE
1. Housman B, Lee DS, Wolf A, et al: Major modifications to minimize thoracic esophago-gastric leak and eradicate esophageal stricture after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. J Surg Oncol 124:529-539, 2021.
