Fig. 1

a The incisions were made on the right later chest; a negative drainage ball was placed through the 4# port. b The incisions were made on abdomen; a negative drainage ball was placed through the 2# port. c The histo-pathological type of EC was squamous cell cancer. d The lymph nodes along the RLN were dissected. e The subcarinal lymph nodes were dissected. f One patient suffered pulmonary thrombosis because of DVT, and died in-hospital; in the CT scan, a large embolus was found in the right pulmonary artery trunk