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The proposed system for defining and recording perioperative complications associated with esophagectomy provides an infrastructure to standardize international data collection and facilitate future comparative studies and quality improvement projects.

Catheter embolization or needle interruption of the thoracic duct is safe, feasible, and successful in eliminating a high-output chyle leak in the majority (71%) of patients. This minimally invasive, although technically challenging, procedure should be the initial approach for the treatment of a traumatic chylothorax.

Thoracic surgeons participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Database perform esophagectomy with a low mortality. We identified important predictors of major morbidity and mortality after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Volume alone is an inadequate proxy for quality assessment after esophagectomy.

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