OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical application of a right-thoracic approach with or without laparotomy for mid-upper esophageal cancer. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the data of 34 esophageal cancer patients who received Belsey surgery or a modified Ivor-Lewis surgery from November 1992 to April 2007. Twenty of the patients underwent a Belsey prodecdure （Group A） from November 1992 to January 2001 and 14 underwent a modified Ivor-Lewis prodecdure （Group B） from May 2001 to April 2007. RESULTS Twenty patients with esophageal cancer received an esophagectomy through an exclusive right-thoracic approach （Belsey surgery）, and 14 patients received an esophagectomy through a right-thoracic approach combined with a laparotomy （modified IvorLewis surgery）. The complication rate was 15% （3/20） and 7.1% （1/14） respectively. The survival rate was 42.9% （5-year survival） and 38.7% （5-year survival） respectively for these two groups. CONCLUSION An exclusive right-thoracic approach （Belsey surgery） is associated with more complications. It is not a routine surgery for cancer of the mid-upper thorax of the esophagus, but can be selectively used as palliative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer patients with poor pulmonary function. Modified Ivor-Lewis surgery can simultaneously be utilized to resect the primary tumor and dissect lymph nodes of the thorax and abdomen. With a shorter time period of surgery and postoperative recovery period, modified Ivor-Lewis surgery can achieve better effects with patients who have midupper esophagus cancer.
