Three-dimensional vs two-dimensional video assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer

Table 6 Histopathological results and lymph node dissection/exposure n (%)

	3D-VATEn = 45	2D-VATEn = 48	P value
Tumor location			NS
Upper third of the esophagus	8 (17.8)	9 (18.8)
Middle third of the esophagus	29 (64.4)	30 (62.5)
Lower third of the esophagus	8 (17.8)	9 (18.8)
Histological type			NS
Adenocarcinoma	0 (0)	1 (2.1)
Squamous cell carcinoma	45 (100)	47 (97.9)
TNM stage			NS
I	12 (26.7)	9 (18.8)
II	16 (35.5)	13 (27.1)
III	17 (37.8)	26 (54.2)
Lymph nodes dissection
Total1 LNN	24.8 ± 5.2	21.4 ± 6.3	NS
Thoracic LNN	13.13 ± 3.43	8.96 ± 4.05	< 0.01
Thoracic LN group	2.56 ± 1.12	2.00 ± 0.85	0.008
Laryngeal recurrent nerve LNN (L)	2.67 ± 1.15	1.17 ± 0.83	< 0.01
Laryngeal recurrent nerve LNN (R)	2.27 ± 1.74	2.33 ± 1.39	NS
Esophageal LNN	3.64 ± 2.05	3.58 ± 1.16	NS
Subcarinal LNN	3.89 ± 2.59	2.73 ± 1.08	0.005
Lymph nodes exposure
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (L) (Y)	41 (91.1)	35 (72.9)	0.031
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (R) (Y)	43 (95.6)	43 (89.6)	0.44

¹Inclusive for lymph nodes harvested from the abdomen, chest and neck. TNM: Tumor node metastasis; LNN: Lymph node number; L: Left; R: Right; NS: Not significant; VATE: Video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy; 3D: Three-dimensional; 2D: Two-dimensional.