Response: "A Propensity Score-matched Analysis of Open Versus Minimally Invasive Transthoracic Esophagectomy in the Netherlands"

Reply:
We thank Cuesta et al for their comments on our study. The question is posed whether the outcomes of our population-based study from the Netherlands can be compared to the TIME trial, a Dutch randomized study that compares minimally invasive (MIE) with open (OE) transthoracic esophagectomy.
We agree that a limitation of our study is that we used pulmonary complications as a composed primary outcome measure. [...]