Early feeding versus routine feeding after tumor removal using Ivor Lewis minimally invasive esophagectomy

INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly allocated by a computer‐generated random number list to receive EOF policy (when to eat depending on patients’ willingness) or LOF (feeding on 7 days after surgery). All the patients underwent minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with 2‐field lymph node dissection. Both the groups were treated similarly in the perioperative period. 1. In the EOF group, when the patient complained that he needed to take water or food, then he will be given oral meilan solution. After exclude no anastomotic fistula, the patient will be given postoperative diet 2. In the LOF group, on POD7 esophagography will be performed to exclude anastomotic fistula, and postoperative diet was gradually opened On the first day of feeding, patients received only water, each time 20‐50 ml; if there is no discomfort, on the second day slag‐free liquid diet will be received, each time 20‐50 ml; if there is no discomfort, on the three day after feeding, transition to a semi‐flow diet, mainly porridge, 200 ml each time. CONDITION: Postoperative feeding after esophageal resection ; Surgery PRIMARY OUTCOME: Number of hospital stays after operation. The discharge criteria are: ability to tolerate a soft diet, no signs of a postoperative complication that needed to be treated at the hospital, ability to ambulate without assistance, tolerable pain on oral analgesia and assessed by the attending doctor SECONDARY OUTCOME: ; 1. Quality of life, measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORCT) assessed within 3 days prior to surgery, 2 weeks , 4 weeks and 3 months after operation; 2. General quality of life questionnaire (C30) and OES18 assessed within 3 days prior to surgery, 2 weeks , 4 weeks and 3 months after operation; 3. Time in the ICU, morbidity (graded based on the Clavien–Dindo classification); 4. Mortality within 30 days; INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Aged =18 years 2. Undergoing minimally invasive Ivor Lewis intervention with intrathoracic anastomosis for esophageal cancer