Since the introduction of thoracoscopy in surgery, many thoracic interventions have
been considered feasible and safe via the thoracoscopic route. We report the case
of a 42-year-old man with a 7.5-cm esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Thoracoscopic
enucleation of the tumor was performed and the patient was discharged on the third
postoperative day after tolerating a full oral diet. Given the well-known advantages
of minimally invasive surgery, we believe that removal of esophageal submucosal tumors
can be attempted using a thoracoscopic approach, even if the tumor is large.
Key words
Esophageal surgery - thoracoscopy/VATS - tumor
