Learning curves in minimally invasive esophagectomy

Figure 1 Scenarios in which the differences in the impact that learning curves can have on the effectiveness of an innovative intervention is described. A: Learning curves can be neglected in case of a short learning curve and large difference in relative effectiveness between the regular technique and the innovative technique. B: If the learning curve of an innovative technique is substantial and the difference in relative effectiveness is small, learning curves can have a large impact on when an innovative technique becomes effective.