Key Points

• Esophagectomy can be a life-saving and life-enhancing option for patients with perforation or caustic injury, multiple failed anti-reflux operations or end-stage functional disorders of the esophagus.
• For resectable esophageal cancer, esophagectomy offers a chance for long-term disease-free survival and in some cases, cure
• When performed at high-volume centers, morbidity, mortality and oncologic outcomes with minimally invasive esophagectomy are comparable to, and in some cases improved over open approaches.
• Minimally invasive esophagectomy is a complex and technically challenging operation that should be performed by esophageal surgeons with extensive experience with esophageal surgery and minimally invasive techniques.