# Oesophagectomy

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/oesophagectomy/  
OnCo record `oesophagectomy` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Surgery that removes most of the food pipe (oesophagus) and rebuilds it by pulling the stomach up into the chest.

## Summary

The standard curative operation for oesophageal and junctional cancer, usually after chemoradiation (CROSS) or perioperative chemotherapy (FLOT). Approaches include Ivor Lewis (abdomen plus right chest), McKeown (three-field) and transhiatal; minimally invasive and robotic versions reduce pulmonary complications. It is one of the highest-risk cancer operations, with 2-5% mortality even in expert centres and lasting effects on eating, reflux and weight, which is why outcomes are better in centralised high-volume units and why active surveillance after complete response (SANO) is being tested as an alternative.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: esophagectomy; oesophagectomies; Ivor Lewis

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagectomy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagectomy

## Connected records

- terms: [Centralisation and high-volume centres](https://onco.cc/terms/centralisation/), [Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)](https://onco.cc/terms/dysphagia/), [Feeding tube (gastrostomy, PEG, jejunostomy)](https://onco.cc/terms/feeding-tube/), [Gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ)](https://onco.cc/terms/gej/), [Surgical morbidity and postoperative complications](https://onco.cc/terms/surgical-morbidity/)
- cancers: [Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gastric/), [Oesophageal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/esophageal/)
- fronts: [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- trials: [CROSS](https://onco.cc/trials/cross/), [SANO](https://onco.cc/trials/sano/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/oesophagectomy.json