Esophagectomy via left thoracotomy for esophageal cancer with situs inversus totalis: Report of a case

摘要

We report a case of successful esophagectomy via a left nthoracotomy for esophageal cancer in a 57-year-old nJapanese man with situs inversus totalis. An upper gas-ntrointestinal endoscopy, performed to investigate the ncause of dysphagia, revealed a 7-cm irregular shaped nmass occupying more than half of the circumference of nthe middle-third of the esophagus. Computed tomogra-nphy (CT) showed enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes nand situs inversus totalis. Histological examination of na biopsy specimen revealed squamous cell carcinoma of nthe esophagus. Although esophagectomy is usually per-nformed through a right thoracotomy because of the left nposition of the aortic arch, we performed successful nsubtotal esophagectomy with radical lymph node dis-nsection through a left thoracotomy. During surgery, we nmodifi ed the standard surgical technique in a mirror-nimage fashion to complete the esophagectomy safely. nThe patient had an uneventful postoperative course.