Innovation in Esophageal Surgery

Assessment of surgical innovation is a complex task. This is especially true in esophageal surgery owing to difficulties in interpreting pathophysiology, staging malignant tumors with accuracy, standardizing and tailoring the available surgical procedures to the individual patient. Furthermore, adoption of innovative procedures in this field is usually confined to high- volume centers of excellence. This book introduces the general and the thoracic surgeon to the latest developments in esophageal surgery. In each chapter, a concise background analysis of the topic in question and a state of the art review is presented. The indications for surgery and the rationale for adopting innovative techniques or technologies are discussed in detail. Challenging questions and comments by selected panelists complement each chapter, enhancing the quality of information. Innovation in Esophageal Surgery will be highly informative for both the novice and the expert surgeon wishing to enter the arena of esophageal surgery.