Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: Feasibility in Esophageal Carcinoma With Inferior Vena Cava Anomaly

Inferior vena cava (IVC) and azygos vein anomaly is very rare. Available case studies report difficult esophagectomy in patients with esophageal carcinoma with IVC anomaly. Minimally invasive esophagectomy with preservation of the azygos vein in such patients is technically challenging. We report a case of a 44-year-old woman diagnosed with middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma with double IVC and dilated azygos vein. Thus minimally invasive surgery is feasible in such patients but requires high technical skills and ample experience to carry out this kind of surgery, and it should only be attempted by a multidisciplinary team.