Innovative, Less Invasive Treatment for Esophageal Cancer

If you suspect one of your patients may have esophageal cancer, you can trust Mount Sinai to deliver outstanding care with excellent outcomes. The Mount Sinai Health System’s esophagectomy program has received a three-star (excellent performance) overall composite score from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

To make a referral, call 212-241-9466 or request a referral online.

Esophagectomy is the main surgical treatment for esophageal cancer. Mount Sinai’s esophagectomies incorporate a surgical innovation by Raja Flores, MD, Chair of Thoracic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Brian Housman, MD, Assistant Professor of Thoracic Surgery, who pioneered a simple yet highly effective change in the surgical approach.

The revised procedure is less invasive than conventional esophagectomy, causes less trauma, and promotes better blood flow at the new juncture point, which reduces complications such as leaking or obstruction. It also decreases the average surgical time from 7 to 2.5 hours.

Dr. Flores described the revision in an article in the Journal of Surgical Oncology and created a video to demonstrate the technique.

“I’m honored at the recognition our department has received from the STS,” Dr. Flores said. “It has been my hope that surgeons at other institutions would adopt our modification, which simply involves switching the juncture site between the stomach and the esophagus to promote better blood flow between the two organs.”

According to STS, only 13 institutions in the United States and Canada hold the three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, for esophagectomy surgery.