RT Journal
A1 Hofstetter WL
T1 Lymphadenectomy as a benchmark to surgical quality in esophagectomy: Comment on “variation in lymph node examination after esophagectomy for cancer in the united states”
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 2012
FD June 1
VO 147
IS 6
SP 511
OP 512
DO 10.1001/archsurg.2012.271
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2012.271
AB 
Quality improvement processes are most relevant when they establish or compare to validated benchmarks. Metrics such as survival,perioperative events, extent of resection, and local recurrence are often associated with the quality of esophagectomy. However, most of these outcomes are also correlated with a patient's disease burden and demographic characteristics. To the extent that it is extremely difficult to compare patient populations between hospitals, other indicators of surgical quality such as the number of lymph nodes resected may serve as a better surrogate. Evidence-based data support the removal of between 10 and 50 lymph nodes (pT1-pT4) during esophagectomy for cancer.1- 2