Modular Robot-Assisted Versus Conventional Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥18 years, regardless of sex; * Histologically confirmed resectable malignant esophageal tumor, without invasion of adjacent vital organs and without evidence of distant metastasis on imaging examinations (including at least one of MRI, PET-CT, or CT); * Patients may have received neoadjuvant therapy; * Willing and able to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Body mass index (BMI) \<18.5 kg/m²; * History of thoracic surgery or thoracic trauma; * History of extensive intra-abdominal adhesions, severe systemic infection, or metastatic disease; * History of other malignancies, except for cured low-risk tumors such as basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, superficial bladder cancer, carcinoma in situ of the prostate, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix; * History of gastric surgery or inability to undergo gastric conduit reconstruction for esophageal replacement; * Significant dysfunction of other organ systems or comorbidities, including severe cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, hepatic, or renal dysfunction, that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes tolerance of surgery; * Severe coagulation dysfunction that precludes surgery; * Uncontrolled epilepsy or psychiatric disorders, inability to understand study requirements, or inability to complete the planned follow-up; * Participation in another clinical study during its observation period, or previous participation in a clinical study that, in the investigator's judgment, may potentially affect the outcomes of this study; * Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the patient unsuitable for participation in this study.