Transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) may be used to treat patients with either benign or malignant esophageal disease because the reconstructive result cervical esophagogastric anastomosis yields an excellent functional result with a minimum of gastroesophageal reflux. In practice, the majority of patients who require esophagectomy have malignant disease. No single esophagectomy approach is ideally suited for all patients. That is certainly true for the THE technique. With proper patient selection, this approach is safe and very well tolerated.
