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Patients with esophageal cancer may present with dysphagia and weight loss. Resectable lesions require consideration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which improves survival but have side effects, which compound already poor intake. Prevention of malnutrition has historically required interventions such as surgical jejunostomy or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, which carry associated morbidity. With established roles in palliation, self-expanding removable metal stents (SERMS) may provide an alternative intervention in resectable disease. We sought to evaluate outcomes from our unit's introduction of SERMS in dysphagic patients prior to esophagectomy. All dysphagic patients presenting with esophageal cancer and considered for curative surgery between April 2006 and November 2008 were offered preoperative treatment of dysphagia with SERMS during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Baseline and preoperative outcomes assessed included dysphagia score and nutritional markers. Sixteen patients underwent esophageal stenting during neoadjuvant therapy of whom 7/16 (44%) were female with mean age 63 (53-76). In 12/16 (75%), tumors were located in the lower one third of the esophagus. There was a significant fall in mean dysphagia score from 2.5 (range 1-4) to 1.1 (range 0-3) immediately preoperatively. There was no significant change in serum albumin, weight, or body mass index. Stent-related morbidity occurred in 4/16 (25%) patients and stomach migration occurred in 7/16 (43.8%). All were resolved endoscopically and there was no stent-related mortality. Of 10/16 (62.5%) patients ultimately progressing to esophagectomy, 30-day mortality was 6.3%. Anastomotic leak occurred in one patient (10%) and R1 resection rate was 20%. SERMS are a safe and effective intervention in dysphagic patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. Complications are minor and readily treatable with endoscopy. Objective parameters suggest nutritional status is maintained and symptoms are improved. SERMS do not appear to compromise resection.

Laparoscopic surgery challenges both the surgical novice and experienced open surgeon with unique psychomotor adaptations. Surgical skills assessment has historically relied on subjective opinion and case experience. Objective performance metrics have stimulated much interest in surgical education over the last decade and proficiency-based simulation has been proposed as a paradigm shift in surgical skills training. New assessment tools must be subjected to scientific validation. This study examined the construct validity of a hybrid laparoscopic simulator with in-built motion tracking technology. Volunteers were recruited from four experience groups (consultant surgeon, senior trainee, junior trainee, medical student). All subjects completed questionnaires and three tasks on the ProMIS laparoscopic simulator (laparoscope orientation, object positioning, sharp dissection). Motion analysis data was obtained via optical tracking of instrument movements. Objective metrics included time, path length (economy of movement), smoothness (controlled handling) and observer-recorded penalty scores. One hundred and sixty subjects completed at least one of the three tasks. Significant group differences were confirmed for number of years qualified, age and case experience. Significant differences were found between experts and novices in all three tasks. Sharp dissection was the strongest discriminator of four recognised laparoscopic skill groups: consultants outperformed students and juniors in all three performance metrics and objective penalty score (p < 0.05), and only accuracy of dissection did not distinguish them from senior trainees (p = 0.261). Seniors dissected faster, more efficiently and more accurately than juniors and students (p < 0.05). ProMIS provides a construct valid laparoscopic simulator and is a feasible tool to assess skills in a cross-section of surgical experience groups. ProMIS has the potential to objectively measure pre-theatre dexterity practice until an agreed proficiency level of dexterity is achieved. Future work should now examine whether training to expert criterion levels on ProMIS correlates with actual operative performance.