Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) significantly improves survival for older esophageal cancer patients compared to open esophagectomy (OE).

• MIE offers a median overall survival of 60.17 months vs. 29.18 months for OE (HR=1.566, p=0.002).
• Disease-free survival is also better with MIE (37.70 months vs. 25.20 months, HR=1.411, p=0.010).

MIE has similar major complication rates as OE, making it a preferable option for enhancing outcomes and recovery in older patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.