Two-step method for creating a gastric tube during laparoscopic-thoracoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy

Table 1 Clinical data in the two groups

Variable	Two-step method	Conventional method	t/χ2-value	P value
Age (yr)	62.4 ± 7.6	61.4 ± 7.1	0.717	0.48
Gender (male/female)	50/14	46/12	0.873	0.53
Tumor location (middle/lower)	35/29	32/26	0.957	0.55
TNM stage (I/II/III)	9/41/14	10/32/16	1.003	0.60

Table 2 Surgical complications in the two groups

	Two-step method	Conventional method	P value
1Pneumonia	18	16	0.78
Arrhythmia	4	5	0.74
Anastomotic leakage	1	1	1.00
Para-recurrent laryngeal nerve injury	3	1	0.62

¹One case in the two-step method group developed concurrent pneumonia, anastomotic leakage, and para-recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and one case in the conventional method group developed concurrent pneumonia and anastomotic leakage.

Table 3 Perioperative parameters for the two groups

Parameter	Two-step method	Conventional method	P value
Operative time (min)	238 (179-293)	272 (189-347)	< 0.001
Rate of complications (%)	21.9	22.4	0.560
Number of stapler cartridges used	5.0 (4-6)	5.2 (5-6)	0.007