It should be understood that esophagectomy without thoracotomy is not a surgical procedure for the treatment of a particular esophageal lesion but is only a surgical aid. Therefore, it is extremely important to discuss the specific indications for using this technique to treat a particular esophageal disorder. The technique of esophagectomy without thoracotomy should not be used for malignant lesions of the thoracic esophagus except under particular circumstances, such as resection of a carcinoma in an extremely early stage or palliative resection of advanced carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus without local invasion. Esophagectomy without thoracotomy is extremely useful for the treatment of esophageal or esophagus-related lesions, such as hypopharyngeal carcinoma, benign stricture of the esophagus, or even some carcinomas of the lower esophagus and cardia of the stomach.
应当明白，非开胸食管切除术并非用于治疗特定食管病变的手术操作，而仅仅是一种手术辅助手段。因此，讨论使用该技术治疗特定食管疾病的具体适应证极为重要。非开胸食管切除术一般不应应用于胸段食管癌，特殊情况除外，如极早期癌的切除或无局部侵犯的晚期胸段食管癌的姑息性切除。非开胸食管切除术对于治疗食管或与食管相关的病变，如下咽癌、食管良性狭窄，甚至一些下段食管癌和胃贲门癌极为有用。
