Robotic-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (RATS) for Benign and Malignant Esophageal Tumors

BackgroundRobotic surgical systems are most effective for operations in areas that are small and difficult to reach. Ideal indications for this new technology have yet to be established. The esophagus possesses attributes that are interesting for general thoracic robotic surgeons.MethodsRobotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) using the da Vinci system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Mountain View, CA) was performed in six patients with...