Traditional radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is the full name of surgical resection of esophageal tumors, including tumor resection, sufficient length of esophagus at the upper and lower ends of the tumor, resection of affected tissues and organs, partial gastrectomy and surrounding soft tissues, lymph node dissection, and reconstruction of the digestive tract. Characterized by: complex surgery, long operation time, large surgical incision, more intraoperative fluid loss, more surgical bleeding, and more trauma to the patient. Advances in modern technology such as high-definition thoracoscopy and ultrasonic knife have made minimally invasive treatment of esophageal cancer possible. The minimally invasive radical esophageal cancer treatment modalities that have been developed include pure thoracoscopic esophagectomy, hand-assisted thoracoscopic transthoracic esophagectomy, thoracoscopically-assisted esophagectomy with a small incision in the chest, and minimally invasive gastric excision in GI reconstruction done by laparoscopy or hand-assisted laparoscopy. The common goal of all these procedures is to reduce surgical trauma, accelerate patients’ postoperative recovery, and not to compromise the radical surgical outcome. In recent years, our department has summarized a lot of experience in radical esophageal cancer treatment and thoracoscopic surgery, and carried out a new minimally invasive treatment method for early and middle stage esophageal cancer—thoracoscopic combined laparoscopic radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer has achieved remarkable efficacy. Indications for thoracoscopic assisted resection of esophageal cancer: 1. Early stage esophageal cancer (below stage 2) 2. Tumor length <5cm 3. No obvious tumor invasion by CT, MRI, etc., and no obvious enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum 4. No serious pleural and lung diseases. 2. Advantages of thoracoscopic surgery: 1. Post-operative recovery of thoracoscopic radical esophageal cancer is faster. 2. Because of the small influence on postoperative lung function, some patients with poor lung function and general condition can also tolerate the operation. 3. The field of vision in lymph node dissection, especially in the resection of subluxation and left parabronchial lymph nodes, is better than that of open thoracic surgery. 4. Minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer is also able to meet the requirements of radical oncological treatment.