Design and Construction of a Novel Surgical Instrument Applicable in Esophagectomy

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer in the world. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The most common surgical procedures for esophageal cancer are transhiatal esophagectomy and transthoracic esophagectomy. Thoracic esophagectomy involves an abdominal incision and a thoracotomy, but transhiatal esophagectomy involves both an abdominal incision and a neck incision. In transhiatal esophagectomy, part of dissection is blind and lack of sufficient vision during operation increases the dangers of this kind of surgery. However, in both robotic and handheld models, it is easier to access the esophagus through upper part of the thorax cavity and dissect the tissues. In this paper, the design and construction of a surgical instrument is presented which can replace the surgeon’s hand in esophagectomy. The instrument can enter the patient’s abdomen just through a 5-cm incision and then maneuver easily in the thorax.