Esophageal cancer with severe funnel chest treated by simultaneous funnel chest surgery and thoracoscopic esophagectomy: a case report

Background Funnel chest is the most common chest deformity, occurring in 0.06–0.3% of the general population. When it occurs concomitantly with esophageal cancer, it hinders intrathoracic surgery that is necessary for treatment. Although there are a few reports of esophagectomy performed in patients with funnel chest, simultaneous treatment of esophageal cancer and funnel chest with funnel chest surgery (Nuss method) and esophagectomy has not been reported. We report the first case of advanced esophageal cancer complicated by severe funnel chest that was treated using the Nuss method and radical thoracoscopic esophagectomy.