ESODATA: Benchmarking esophagectomy complications

Abstract

With the aim to improve the quality of esophagectomy research, the Esophageal Complications Consensus Group (ECCG) was created in 2011. The group performed a Delphi process to reach consensus regarding a basic platform of complications that should be reported in all outcome studies reporting of esophagectomy, and developed an infrastructure defining the four critical individual complications. This group also reached a consensus on what other quality measures should be routinely reported in outcome studies on esophagectomy. The ECCG then performed a study of the defined outcomes in a prospective multicenter international cohort study with the acronym: "ESODATA". Postoperative results and demographic data about all esophagectomies for benign or malignant indications were collected. Participating centers included 19 of the original institutions with addition of five high volume esophagectomy units. The study provides an international contemporary standard for complication incidence and assessment, and a framework for audit and quality improvement projects for esophagectomy units worldwide. A large contemporary multicenter international dataset with standardized outcomes, like the ESODATA study cohort, provides the best opportunity for precise information about contemporary practice in the management of esophageal disease, and is likely to become gold standard for future clinical oncologic research.