Balloon Dilation in Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy and Its Effect on Reducing DGCE

Background:

Esophageal carcinoma ranks among the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. Minimally invasive esophagectomy is the standard curative treatment, but postoperative delayed gastric conduit emptying (DGCE) remains a major complication, occurring in up to 40% of patients. DGCE prolongs recovery, increases morbidity, and raises healthcare costs. Mechanical stretching of the pylorus has shown potential to reduce DGCE in retrospective studies, but evidence from randomized controlled trials in the context of minimally invasive surgery is lacking.

Objective:

The WIDE Trial aims to evaluate whether intraoperative endoscopic balloon dilation of the pylorus during minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy can reduce the incidence of early postoperative DGCE, improve recovery, and enhance quality of life.

Design:

This is a prospective, single-center, double-blinded, superiority randomized controlled trial conducted at Clarunis University Digestive Health Care Center, Basel. A total of 116 patients with histologically confirmed esophageal carcinoma undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy with curative intent will be randomized 1:1 into an intervention group and a control group.

Intervention group: Intraoperative endoscopic balloon dilatation of the pylorus to 30 mm before gastric conduit formation.

Control group: Standard minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy without dilatation.

Endpoints:

Primary endpoint: Incidence of early DGCE within 14 days postoperatively, defined by radiological and clinical criteria (gastric tube output >500 mL on day ≥5 or >100% increase in gastric tube width on X-ray).

Secondary endpoints: Late DGCE incidence (after >14 days), anastomotic leak rate, overall postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo classification), hospital stay, time to first bowel movement, time to solid food intake, and postoperative quality of life (EORTC QLQ-OES18).

Methods and Follow-up:

Baseline data are collected preoperatively; postoperative outcomes are assessed at days 5, 10, and 3 months. Ward physicians and radiologists assessing outcomes are blinded to group assignment. At three months, all patients undergo follow-up including symptom questionnaires, radiological passage study, and QoL assessment.

Statistics:

Power analysis (α = 0.05, β = 0.20) based on prior studies suggests that 52 patients per group are needed to detect a reduction in DGCE incidence from 48% to 22%. Accounting for 10% attrition, 116 total patients will be enrolled. Analyses will follow the intention-to-treat principle using chi-square, t-tests/Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariable logistic regression to adjust for confounders.

Risk-Benefit Assessment:

The intervention poses minimal additional risk, as balloon dilatation is an established and safe endoscopic procedure, adding approximately 20-30 minutes to surgical time. Possible complications such as perforation or bleeding are rare and manageable intraoperatively. Potential benefits include reduced DGCE incidence, shorter hospitalization, lower complication rates, and improved patient quality of life.

Ethics and Data Protection:

The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, ICH-GCP, and Swiss ClinO regulations (risk category A). All participants provide written informed consent. Patient data are pseudonymized and securely stored in a REDCap database.

Timeline:

Start of recruitment: December 2025

End of recruitment / last surgery: June 2028

Follow-up: 3 months per patient postoperatively

Expected Impact:

If intraoperative endoscopic pylorus dilatation proves effective, it could become a new standard adjunct procedure in minimally invasive esophagectomy, reducing DGCE-related morbidity and improving recovery and cost-efficiency in esophageal cancer surgery.