Objective To explore the feasibility,necessity and the skill of total mesoesophageal excision (TME ) during thoracoscopy combined with laparoscopy in radical resection of esophageal carcinoma.Methods 69 patients with esophageal carcinoma were divided into the TME group(40 cases)and the thoracotomy with triple incisions group(29 cases)according to the admission sequence.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,total lymph nodes removed,postoperative complication rate and disease -free survival were compared between the two groups.Results The operation time of TME group was (182.85 ±26.73)min,which was significantly shorter than (295.71 ±19.50)min of the thoracotomy group (t=-19.301,P<0.001).The intraoperative blood loss in TME group was (86.43 ±59.34)mL,which was significantly less than (163.47 ±58.82)mL in the thoracotomy group (t=-5.342,P<0.001 ).No significant differences were detected between the two groups in total lymph nodes removed and incidence rate of postoperative complication (all P>0.05 ).The disease-free survival period in TME group was (14.78 ±2.14)months,which in the thoracotomy group was (13.10 ±4.09)months,the difference was significant (t=2.200,P<0.05).Conclusion TME is safe and feasible during thoracoscopy combined with laparos-copy in radical resection of esophageal carcinoma.TME is better in improving the regional control in esophageal carci-noma.

Five patients with primary malignancies in the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and infra temporal fossa (ITF) were enrolled in this retrospective study between January 2012 and January 2018. After malignancies proven by biopsy and evaluation with CT and MRI scan, all patients received modified maxillary swing (MMS) approach for extirpation of malignant tumors in the PPF and ITF under general anesthesia. En bloc resection with wide surgical margins was successfully performed in all cases. Negative margins were observed in 4 cases and positive margins were found in one patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma who received postoperative radiotherapy. The most common complication was facial numbness. During the follow-up period (range 12 to 57 months), one patient suffered from recurrence while others did not. The advantages of MMS include wide surgical field, full exposure and easy manipulation. The MMS approach is expected to become an standard method for monobloc resection of malignancies in the PPF and ITF.