Short-term outcomes after esophagectomy at 164 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program hospitals: effect of operative approach and hospital-level variation.

Compared with transhiatal dissection, Ivor Lewis esophagectomy did not result in worse postoperative complications. After controlling for case-mix, hospital performance varied widely for all outcomes assessed, indicating that reductions in short-term outcomes will likely result from expanding other aspects of hospital quality beyond a focus on specific technical maneuvers.