Robotic Enucleation of Giant Esophageal Leiomyoma

Robotic enucleation of giant esophageal leiomyoma to a 71 year old male with dysphagia. Esophageal leiomyoma represents 80% of all benign tumors of the esophagus. Most esophageal leiomyomas are located in the lower 2/3 of the esophagus. They typically do not become symptomatic until they grow to be greater than or equal to 5 cm. Consequently, they are most often discovered incidentally on radiologic examination of the thorax. Most common symptoms are epigastric pain, dysphagia, and odynophagia. Recently, robotic system has provided improved visualization and dexterity in the surgical field for the surgeon using minimally invasive incisions. There are few reports in the medical literature of removal of the esophageal leiomyoma using the robot technology. Video by Andrew Gamenthaler, MD, Ken Meredith, MD.