Sugawara K, et al. - Researchers examined the long-term health-related quality of life in patients following robot-assisted radical transmediastinal esophagectomy (TME), which is characterized as non-transthoracic esophagectomy comprising a robotic transhiatal approach and a video-assisted cervical approach, and transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE). They analyzed 37 patients (TME; n = 18, TTE; n = 19). In the longitudinal survey of function scales, the TME group showed significantly better scores of physical, role, social, and emotional function than the TTE group at many points postoperatively. Markedly, the TTE group but not the TME group displayed great worsening of the symptoms of general pain, esophageal pain, and dry mouth after surgery. In contrast, the groups showed no differences in symptoms relating to eating difficulties, body composition data, and nutritional status over time. TME vs TTE led to significantly greater scores of global quality of life and emotional function as well as significantly fewer problems of fatigue, general pain, insomnia, and dry mouth at 24 months after surgery.