Impact of preoperative diastolic dysfunction on short-term outcomes following robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE).

Diastolic dysfunction is a common echocardiographic finding in patients undergoing major surgery and has been associated with adverse perioperative outcomes, particularly in high-risk procedures. However, its prognostic relevance in robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of preoperative diastolic dysfunction on short-term postoperative outcomes and intensive care unit (ICU) course in patients undergoing RAMIE. A retrospective, monocentric cohort of 256 adult patients, who underwent robotic-assisted Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma at the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne (2019-2024), was screened. Of these, 181 cases with available preoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) data were included in this study. Included patients were stratified based on the presence and grade of diastolic dysfunction in preoperative echocardiography. Postoperative outcomes including new-onset atrial fibrillation (POAF), pulmonary complications, anastomotic leakage, length of ICU stay, and mortality, were analyzed using χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests, with *p < 0.05 considered significant. 181 of 256 screened patients could be included in our study. Preoperative diastolic dysfunction was identified in 67 of 181 screened patients: 63 patients with grade I and 4 patients with grade II diastolic dysfunction. Patients with diastolic dysfunction were more likely to present with coronary artery disease (13 vs. 7, 19 vs. 6%; p = 0.01), diabetes mellitus (16 vs. 10, 24 vs. 9%; p = 0.01), and hypertension (37 vs. 43, 55 vs. 38%; p = 0.02) compared to those without. However, no differences were observed in postoperative outcomes, including postoperative atrial fibrillation (21 vs. 18%; p > 0.05), pulmonary complications (22% in both groups; χ = 0.045; p > 0.05), anastomotic leakage (16 vs. 18%; χ = 0.048, p > 0.05), ICU stay (median 2 days for both groups), or in-hospital mortality (4 vs. 2%; p > 0.05). The severity of complications, as classified by the Clavien-Dindo system, was also not associated with diastolic dysfunction (Pearson chi-square: χ = 1.094; p > 0.05). Mild diastolic dysfunction (predominantly grade I) was not associated with worse short-term outcomes in patients undergoing RAMIE. Despite a higher burden of cardiovascular comorbidities, ICU stay, postoperative complication rates, and mortality were comparable to patients with normal diastolic function. These findings suggest that mild diastolic dysfunction should not be considered a contraindication for RAMIE and highlight the need for refined risk stratification tools integrating echocardiographic and clinical parameter.