{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T21:42:37Z","timestamp":1780695757667,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,11]],"date-time":"2022-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665446400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,30]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Summary<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>BACKGROUND<\/jats:title><jats:p>Transcervical esophagectomy allows for esophagectomy through transcervical access and bypasses the thoracic cavity, thereby eliminating single lung ventilation. A challenging surgical approach demands thorough understanding of the encountered anatomy. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of surgical anatomy encountered during the (robot-assisted) minimally invasive transcervical esophagectomy (RACE and MICE).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>METHODS<\/jats:title><jats:p>To assess the surgical anatomy of the lower neck and mediastinum, MR images were made of a body donor after, which it was sliced at 24-\u03bcm intervals with a cryomacrotome. Images were made every 3 slices resulting in 3.200 images of which a digital 3D multiplanar reconstruction was made. For macroscopic verification, microscopic slices were made and stained every 5 mm (Mallory-Cason). Schematic drawings were made of the 3D reconstruction to demonstrate the course of essential anatomical structures in the operation field and identify anatomical landmarks.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title><jats:p>Surgical anatomy \u2018boxes\u2019 of three levels (superior thoracic aperture, upper mediastinum, subcarinal) were created. Four landmarks were identified: (i) the course of the thoracic duct in the mediastinum; (ii) the course of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve; (iii) the crossing of the azygos vein right and dorsal of the esophagus; and (iv) the position of the aortic arch, the pulmonary arteries, and veins.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title><jats:p>The presented 3D reconstruction of unmanipulated human anatomy and schematic 3D \u2018boxes\u2019 provide a comprehensive overview of the surgical anatomy during the RACE or MICE. Our findings provide a useful tool to aid surgeons in learning the complex anatomy of the mediastinum and the exploration of new surgical approaches such as the RACE or MICE.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/dote\/doac072","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]],"date-time":"2022-10-12T10:07:24Z","timestamp":1665569244000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["The surgical anatomy of a (robot-assisted) minimally invasive transcervical esophagectomy"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"36","author":[{"given":"I C L J","family":"Filz von Reiterdank","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"I L","family":"Defize","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht , The 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