Efficiency of Retraction Method in Esophagectomy for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

A prospective randomized trial compared two methods of lymphadenectomy along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve (lrln) during minimally invasive esophagectomy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. The retraction method (rm) was found to be more beneficial, as it reduced surgical duration significantly compared to the suspension method (sm). There were no differences in postoperative complications, disease-free survival, overall survival, or quality of life between the two methods.