fig7

Figure 7. Cumulative volume of right pleural effusion on POD 7. Earlier, in the introduction phase of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy, postoperative pleural effusion increased compared to that in conventional minimally-invasive esophagectomy (case nos. 1-7). Active use of a vessel sealer instead of Maryland bipolar forceps around the thoracic duct significantly reduced postoperative effusion (case nos. 8-14). POD: Postoperative day.