Objective  To evaluate the safety and clinical value of laparoscopic jejunostomy in minimal invasive McKeown esophagectomy.

  Methods  The clinical data of the patients undergoing minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2013 to June 2020 were retrospectively included, and according to postoperative nutritional support they were divided into oral intake group (January 2013 to October 2017) and jejunostomy group (November 2017 to June 2020). The operation time, postoperative hospital stay, complications, perioperative nutritional status and quality of life scores were compared between the two groups.

  Results  A total of 190 patients with esophageal cancer who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. There were 128 cases in jejunostomy group and 62 cases in oral intake group. Compared with the patients in oral intake group, those in jejunostomy group had shorter postoperative hospitalization time 11(9, 13)d vs. 14(13, 20)d, P < 0.001, the completion rate of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in the jejunostomy group was higher(95.16% vs. 75.00%, P=0.005). The operation time 335(300, 374)min vs. 330(310, 370)min, P=0.750 and the incidence of surgery-related complications(28.13% vs. 35.48%, P=0.748) showed no significant difference between the two groups. The body mass index in jejunostomy group was higher 1 month (23.3 ± 3.5)kg/m² vs. (21.7±3.9)kg/m², P=0.006 and 3 months(22.6±3.5)kg/m² vs. (20.6±4.0)kg/m², P < 0.001 after surgery, and the body weight decreasing rate was lower 1 month (3.9 ± 2.2)% vs. (10.3±3.5)%, P < 0.001 and 3 months(6.5±3.1)% vs. (15.7 ± 4.8)%, P < 0.001 after surgery than those in oral intake group. The quality of life symptom scores in both groups were increased and the physical functioning and summary scores were sharply decreased at day 7 after operation, and all scores were improved in different degrees 1 month after operation. Compared with the measurements in oral intake group, the symptom scores (except pain score 1 month after operation) were decreased, and the physical functioning and summary scores were increased in the jejunostomy group 7 days and 1 month after operation (all P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Compared with oral nutrition, total laparoscopic jejunostomy has greater advantages in postoperative nutritional support and quality of life recovery in patients with esophageal cancer. It is also safe and unlikely to increase surgery-related complications.