The world’s first case！Shanghai expert performing “ultra minimally invasive” submucosaltunnel endoscopic resection

On April 13^th,the reporter from Pengpai News learned from Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University that this surgery was performed by Professor Pinghong Zhou,the director of the Endoscopy Center of the hospital.The doctor entered the chest cavity through esophageal tunnel endoscopy and used submucosaltunnel endoscopic resection (STER) to accurately remove the tumor while preserving the patient’s esophageal function.Zhongshan Hospital stated that its successful implementation further breaks the taboo of minimally invasive surgery and marks another major technological breakthrough in the field of endoscopic minimally invasive reaction.

The surgical patient is a 28 year old female named Duoduo (pseudonym).In 2023,she was diagnosed with a huge submucosal mass in the esophagus and faced a severe choice of undergoing thoracotomy to remove a portion of the esophagus.This means she may need to undergo digestive tract reconstruction and face risks such as esophageal fistula and esophageal stenosis.

With superb medical skills and in-depth clinical research,Pinghong Zhou decided to use submucosaltunnel endoscopic resection (STER) for precise treatment of Duoduo.

In the surgery on March 20^th,Pinghong Zhou skillfully operated the endoscopic instrument and entered through the esophagus,opening a “tunnel” leading to the tumor.However,in fact,Duoduo’s condition is much more complicated than expected,and the tumor is actually located in the mediastinal space outside the esophageal cavity,close to the pleura,which undoubtedly increases the difficulty and risk of surgery.But Pinghong Zhou successfully removed the tumor and its adjacent pleura,ensuring the patient’s lung expansion and rapid closure of the esophageal tunnel opening.The entire surgical process only take 75minutes,and after the surgery,Duoduo recovered well and was discharged smoothly.