Totally mechanical Collard technique reduces anastomotic stricture rates

The totally mechanical Collard technique significantly lowers anastomotic stricture rates in cervical esophagogastric anastomosis compared to the triangular technique during minimally invasive esophagectomy. In a matched-cohort study of 117 patients, researchers found that the incidence of stricture was 2.5% in the Collard group versus 27.5% in the triangular group (p = 0.003). Other postoperative complications, such as pneumonia and nerve palsy, showed no significant differences between the techniques.