Abstract: Mediastinal lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with a high metastasis rate and surgical difficulty. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as laparoscopy, allow for precise lymph node dissection in esophageal cancer with guidance for microanatomy. Different surgical concepts, including mesonephrectomy and the "concentric circle" anatomical model, have been proposed by scholars. The use of Da Vinci robots in esophageal surgery is advantageous over traditional laparoscopy in facilitating upper mediastinal lymph node dissection and protecting recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) function. Based on the experience of our center, we explore robot-assisted lymph node dissection and quality control for esophageal cancer adjacent to the RLN, which can further standardize lymph node dissection in the upper mediastinum and improve perioperative quality of life and long-term survival.