BACKGROUND: @entity3253 requires urgent thoracotomy, laparotomy, or both for esophageal repair and pleuromediastinal debridement. Minimally invasive techniques may be suitable alternatives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a period of 12 months, three @entity1 with spontaneous esophageal perforations after forceful @entity391 were treated by a combination of minimally invasive techniques including laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, mediastinoscopy, and endoscopic stenting. RESULTS: Esophageal repair was performed transhiatally via laparoscopy using primary suture, primary suture reinforced by a fundic patch, and fundic patch alone in one @entity1 each. One @entity1 had a second perforation of the proximal esophagus, which was sutured through a cervical incision. This @entity1 successfully underwent secondary endoscopic stenting for a persistent @entity1727 . Mediastinal debridement was performed transhiatally and also by means of a mediastinoscope introduced via the cervical incision in one @entity1 . One @entity1 required secondary thoracoscopic debridement of a @entity4327 but died of @entity295 after 1 month. The two other @entity1 recovered and were discharged from the hospital after 2 and 8 weeks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: @entity3253 is amenable to minimally invasive techniques. Avoidance of a formal thoracotomy with its resulting morbidity could be of considerable benefit to these critically ill @entity1 .

Minimally invasive approach to XXXX : a pilot study of three cases.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity295 :: ('MESH:D018805', 'Disease') :: ['sepsis'] @entity391 :: ('MESH:D014839', 'Disease') :: ['vomiting'] @entity1727 :: ('MESH:D004937', 'Disease') :: ['esophageal fistula'] @entity3253 :: ('MESH:C536571', 'Disease') :: ["Boerhaave's syndrome"] @entity4327 :: ('MESH:D016724', 'Disease') :: ['pleural empyema']
@entity3253 :: (MESH:C536571,Disease) :: ['Boerhaave's syndrome']
