Table 1.
Recommended approaches to esophageal procedures
| Type of procedure | Open surgery | Laparoscopic surgery | Robotic | Level of evidence1 |
| Total esophagectomy (McKeown) | Standard | Accepted | Developing | LE 3 |
| Partial esophagectomy (Ivor-Lewis) | Standard | Accepted | Developing | LE 2 |
| Transhiatal esophagectomy (Orringer) | Standard | Accepted | Developing | LE 3 |
| Anti-reflux surgery | Abandoned | Standard | Developing | LE 1 |
| Heller myotomy | Abandoned | Standard | Developing | LE 1 |
| Local excision | Standard | Accepted | Developing | LE 4 |
| Others | Standard | Accepted | Developing | LE 4 |
1
Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Levels of Evidence Working Group. "The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence". http://www.cebm.net/index.aspx?o=5653