To explore the clinical effects of a combination of minimally invasive surgery with accelerated rehabilitation surgery during the perioperative period for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

The clinical data of 32 patients with esophageal cancer under accelerated rehabilitation management during the perioperative period of thoracic and laparoscopic esophageal cancer from January 2020 to June 2021 in Department of Thoracic Surgery at Hai’an People’s Hospital were collected. The study included preoperative general clinical data, intraoperative and postoperative related indicators and follow-ups.

The 32 patients underwent minimally invasive esophageal cancer surgery under rapid rehabilitation management, and all patients recovered quickly after surgery. In general, there were 22 male and 19 female, the age was (66±9) years, and the BMI was (20.9±2.6) kg/m². There were 8 cases with history of hypertension and 2 cases with history of diabetes. The tumors were located in the upper segment of the esophagus in 7 cases, the middle section in 16 cases, and the lower part in 9 cases. The average length of the tumor was (4.2±1.8) cm. The operation time was (352.5±76.9) min and the amount of bleeding was (93.2±34.5) mL. Moreover, (5±2) stations and (18±7) pieces of lymph nodes underwent dissection. The average postoperative thoracic tube retention time was (5.1±2.7) D and the thoracic drainage volume was (1 256.2±685.9) mL. Postoperative complications included anastomotic leakage in three cases, postoperative abdominal distension in eight cases, pulmonary infection in two cases, chylothorax in one case, and hoarseness in two cases. In terms of the postoperative pathological stages, 7 cases were in stage Ⅰ, 19 cases were in stage Ⅱ, 6 cases were in stage Ⅲ, and no cases were in stage Ⅳ. Postoperative hospitalization was (10.5±3.6) days, the follow-up time was 1-18 months, and one person died during the follow-up period.

Minimally invasive thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery combined with accelerated rehabilitation surgery is a safe and effective management strategy for the treatment of esophageal cancer. This method is conducive to swift postoperative rehabilitation and shorten hospital stays.