Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy and the Care of Humphrey Bogart's Mid-Esophageal Cancer.

In 1945, the Welsh surgeon Ivor Lewis first reported performing the resection of a mid-esophageal tumor through a combined approach involving the abdomen and right chest. While his technique was initially rebuffed by the preeminent esophageal surgeons of the time, it quickly became the standard approach for cancers of the mid-esophagus. Here we review the development and early dissemination of Lewis' operation using the case of the American actor Humphrey Bogart who underwent an Ivor Lewis esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in 1956. After rocketing to fame in the early 1940s, the actor Humphrey Bogart quickly became an icon of classic American cinema. Unfortunately, Bogart died in 1957, less than a year after he was diagnosed with cancer of the mid-esophagus, at only 57 years old. During his care, Bogart underwent a modified Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. As this occurred just over a decade after the initial description of the operation, Bogart's case highlights early adoption of Ivor Lewis' technique into the armamentarium of thoracic surgeons. In this review, we discuss the details of Bogart's care to provide a historical perspective into the development of the Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and the early dissemination of the approach.