• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.280-286
• /
• 1995

In our hospital we have seen 38 cases of esophageal cancer from June 1984 until June 1994. They composed of 34[89% men and 4[11% women, their age distributed from 35 to 74, mean age was 57.55 7.43. Their symptoms were varied, dysphagia[97% , pyrosis[58% , chest pain[31% , weight loss[31% , anemia[8% , vomiting[5% , and hoarseness[1% . Surgical treatment was done with esophagectomy and upper GI reconstruction 35 cases, and palliative gastrostomy was 3 cases. There was no operative mortality, and operative morbidity was 8 cases of anastomotic leakage, 5 cases of wound infection, 5 cases of pleural effusion, hoarseness, pneumothorax, and lung abscess. Pathologic lesion distribution: upper thoracic esophagus 6 cases[16% , middle thoracic esophagus 17 cases[45% , and lower thoracic esophagus 15 cases[39% . There was no statistical difference of transhiatal esophagectomy and transthoracic esophagectomy in complications and hospitalization period in this study but we proved the superiority of gastric upper GI reconstruction rather than colon upper GI reconstruction in anastomotic leakage and hospitalization period. Cumulative survival rate was 76.2% in 1 year survival, 33.9% in 3 year survival, 25.4% in 5 year survival, 12.7% in 10 year survival. There was no relationship with the time of dysphagia with survival in this study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.819-828
• /
• 1984

Between September 1973 and December 1983, 61 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus were treated surgically at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital. Among 61 patients, male patients were 51 cases, female 10 cases and the age ranged from 21 years old to 72 years old with the average of 54.6 years old. Min symptoms of esophageal cancer were dysphagia (91.5%), weight loss (40.4%), pain(27.6%), and the average symptom duration was 3.85 months. The anatomical locations of esophageal cancer in preoperative esophagogram revealed 41.7% in middle 1/3, 8.3% in esophagograstic junction or cardia. Among 61 cases, 9 cases were managed by feeding gastrostomy due to inoperability, 8 cases by exploratory thoracotomy or lapatotomy only without curative or palliative resection, and 44 cases by curative or palliative resection with reconstruction. Among 52 cases of exploration, 44 cases were managed with curative or palliative resection of cancer and the resectability revealed 84.6% in operated cases. Among palliative or curative resected group, the esophagogastrostomy was performed in 40 cases (90.9%), esophagojejunostomy in 3 cases(6.8%), esophagectomy only in 1 case(2.3%). Postoperative complications were noticed in 12 cases, such as anastomotic leakage in 7 cases(15.6%), empyema in 2 cases (4.4%), respiratory failure in 2 cases (4.4%), anastomotic stricture in 1 case (2.2%). among 7 postoperative anastomotic leakage, 2 patients died as a result of that complication and the operative mortality revealed 4.3%. During follow-up work, the mean survival period was 19.3 months in patients who discharged hospital alive, and the 2 year survival rate was 34.6%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.753-757
• /
• 2010

We report hereon a case of double bypass of the esophagus and descending thoracic aorta for the treatment of esophagopleural fistula and aortopleural fistula due to an infected aortic aneurysm after esophageal rupture. A 48 year old man was diagnosed as having esophageal rupture after an accidental explosion. Although he had been treated by esophageal repair and drainage at another hospital, the esophageal leakage could not be controlled and subsequent empyema developed in the left pleura. Further, bleeding from the descending thoracic aorta had developed and he was managed with endovascular stent insertion to the descending thoracic aorta. He was transferred to our hospital for corrective surgery. We performed esophago - gastrostomy via the substernal route, without exploring posterior mediastinum and we let the empyema resolve spontaneously. While he was being managed postoperatively Without any signs and symptoms of infection, sudden bleeding developed from the left pleural cavity. After evaluation for the bleeding focus, we discovered an Infected aortic aneurysm and an aortospleural fistula at the stent insertion site. We performed a second bypass procedure for the infected descending thoracic aorta from the ascending aorta to the descending abdominal aorta via the right pleural cavity. We found leakage at the distalligation site during the immediate postoperative period, and we occluded the leakage using a vascular plug. He discharged without complications and he is currently doing well without any more bleeding or other complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 1988

Thoracic esophageal rupture caused by blunt trauma is often not recognized until late because of the vague symptoms in the initial state as well as its rare incidence, which can easily lead to fulminant mediastinitis with frequent fatal outcome. Once extensive mediastinitis occurs, the primary surgical repair of the esophageal tear is considered to be practically impossible. Various methods have been proposed for the management of these desperately ill patients, but no one provides an acceptable good result yet. The purpose of this article is to report the successful result obtained in the treatment of a patient with fulminant mediastinitis from traumatic esophageal rupture by continuous transesophageal irrigation. A 27 year-old male patient was brought to the emergency room of our hospital complaining of dyspnea and chest pain after blunt trauma. The diagnosis of esophageal rupture in the thorax was made late, about 46 hours after the initial injury, when mediastinitis had already progressed. The transesophageal irrigation method was immediately instituted which consisted of profuse transesophageal irrigation of the mediastinum with orally ingested fluid and/or by Levin tube, positioned proximal to the site of the rupture, and drainage of the irrigation fluid by thoracoscopically accurately positioned chest tubes connected to a well suctioning system. With subsiding inflammatory signs and symptoms, the esophagogram, obtained 54 days after the treatment, showed no evidence of the mediastinal leakage of contrast material which contrasted previous esophagograms with definitive dye collections in the mediastinum. Additional endoscopic finding confirmed complete healing of the esophageal mucosa, previously ruptured. He has been followed up without any problem until recently, 6 months after discharge.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.88-93
• /
• 2008

Esophageal atresia with double tracheoesophageal fistula is a very rare anomaly and is difficulty to diagnose preoperatively. We treated a full term baby with esophageal atresia with double tracheoesophageal fistula. At the first operation, only the distal tracheoesophageal fistula was identified and ligated. When the upper esophageal pouch was opened, intermittent air leakages in sequence with positive bagging were noticed. However, intraoperative bronchoscopy did not identify a fistula in the proximal pouch, and the operation was completed with end to end anastomosis of the esophagus. On the $7^{th}$ postoperative day, esophagography showed another tracheoesophageal fistula proximal to the esophageal anastomosis. A wire was placed in the fistula preoperatively under bronchoscopy. At the 2nd operation through the same thoracotomy incision the proximal fistula was identified and ligated. On the $12^{th}$ postoperative day, esophagography showed neither stricture nor leakage.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.47-53
• /
• 1997

Accidental ingestion of caustic substance is one of the common problems among children around the world. Acid intake accounts for a mere 5% of all reported cases of corrosive ingestion in the West. Because of the esophageal sparing effect of acid, clinically significant esophageal involvement after acid ingestion occurs in only 6 to 20 percent of the instances. Despite effort of prevention, 7% to 15% of children sustaining caustic esophageal burns develop esophageal strictures. If balloon dilatation or bougie dilatation fails to resolve the esophageal strictures, successful outcome following replacement by colon or stomach has been reported in children. But the complications and morbidity following these operations are still relatively high. Seven patients with corrosive-acid induced esophageal strictures who were operated upon at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital from 1991 to 1995 were reviewed. Primary resection and anastomosis was performed in all of 7 patients. The stricture involved short segments of the esophagus at the level of the lower cervical and the upper thoracic vertebra. The operations were approached through a left cervical incision or a left thoracotomy. In one patient, operative repair of anastomotic leakage was done, and three patients required re-resection of anastomotic strictures postoperatively, and one patient required a third operation(reversed gastric tube) due to an anastomotic stricture. The other anastomotic leaks, strictures or pulmonary complications were resolved with conservative treatment. In conclusion, primary resection and anastomosis of the esophagus was performed successfully on the 6 of 7 children with acid induced corrosive esophageal strictures. This approach is physiologic, especially in children who should have a long life expectancy, and recommended for the treatment of short-segment acid induced corrosive esophageal strictures.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.58-66
• /
• 2022

Background/Aims: Anastomotic leakage after esophageal surgery remains a feared complication. During the last decade, management of this complication changed from surgical revision to a more conservative and endoscopic approach. However, the treatment remains controversial as the indications for conservative, endoscopic, and surgical approaches remain non-standardized. Methods: Between 2010 and 2020, all patients who underwent Ivor Lewis esophagectomy for underlying malignancy were included in this study. The data of 28 patients diagnosed with anastomotic leak were further analyzed. Results: Among 141 patients who underwent resection, 28 (19.9%) developed an anastomotic leak, eight (28.6%) of whom died. Thirteen patients were treated with endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT), seven patients with self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) four patients with primary surgery, one patient with a hemoclip, and three patients were treated conservatively. EVT achieved closure in 92.3% of the patients with a large defect and no EVT-related complications. SEMS therapy was successful in clinically stable patients with small defect sizes. Conclusions: EVT can be successfully applied in the treatment of anastomotic leakage in critically ill patients, while SEMS should be limited to clinically stable patients with a small defect size. Surgery is only warranted in patients with sepsis with graft necrosis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.200-205
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the post operative outcome of reconstruction with using the stomach after performing total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer or cervical esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 23 patients who underwent gastric pull up for esophageal substitution at the Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, between January 1991 and December 2006. All the patients had transhiatal esophagectomy performed without thoracotomy. Results: There were seventeen males and six females with a median age of 58.1 years (range: 40-70 years). 19 cases were hypopharyngeal cancer, 13 cases had cancer in the pyriform sinus, 15 cases had cancer in the postcricoid area and one case had cancer in the glottic area. The rest were cervical esophageal cancers. The pathologic result was squamous cell carcinoma in all cases. The median total follow-up period was 33 months (range: 1-62 months) and there were two (8.6%) postoperative deaths: one was due to carotid rupture and the other was due to hepatic failure with liver metastasis. The complications were leakage in 1 patient (4.4%), pneumothorax in 1 patient (4.4%) and pneumonia in 1 patient (4.4%). Conclusion: The use of stomach for esophageal reconstruction has many benefits for treating hypopharyngeal cancer or cervical esophageal cancer, So, we made sure there was a sufficient length for the anastomosis after pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy and a rich blood supply from the stomach. There was a low incidence of the leakage at the anastomotic site, along with a low incidence of stenosis and bleeding.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 2009

Background: Surgical treatment of corrosive esophageal stricture with colon interposition was very widely used. The colon interposition advantage is low reflux esophagitis risk and preservation of gastric capacity and peristalsis. This procedure was introduced by Orsoni and much improved. But, if stomach injury was minimal, gastric interposition is useful due to simple technique and low complication. Material and Method: Esophageal reconstruction by the transhiatal esophagectomy and intracervical esophagogastrostomy was done in 7 patients of corrosive esophageal stricture at Dong-San medical center from January 1998 to December 2007. Result: There were six female and one male patients raBackground Surgical treatment of corrosive esophageal stricture with colon interposition was very widely used. The colon interposition advantage is low reflux esophagitis risk and preservation of gastric capacity and peristalsis. This procedure was introduced by Orsoni and much improved. But, if stomach injury was minimal, gastric interposition is useful due to simple technique and low complication. Material and Method: Esophageal reconstruction by the transhiatal esophagectomy and intracervical esophagogastrostomy was done in 7 patients of corrosive esophageal stricture at Dong-San medical center from January 1998 to December 2007. Result: There were six female and one male patients ranging from 29 to 69 years of age. The complication was two anastomosis site leakage, one gastric necrosis and one mortality due to bowel strangulation and sepsis. Conclusion: Transhiatal esophagectomy and intracervical esophagogastrostomy is safety and useful method at selection case even though corrosive esophageal resection is debated.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.29 no.12
• /
• pp.1392-1397
• /
• 1996

Over the past two years the free jejunal transfer have been used in 7 consecutive patients to restore alimentary tract continuity artier the resection of esophagus. Six patients had squamous cell carcinomas and one had esophageal stricture . The patients underwent partial esophagectomy with modified radicAl neck dissection or mediastinal Iymph node dissection. The microvascular anastomosis was performed to the neck vessels in 4 patients and to the in ercostal vessels in 3 patients. Postoperative complications were graft necrosis in one patient, and a temporary anastomotic leakage with spontaneous closure in one patient. Reconstruction of the esophagus was successful in 6 of 7 patients. We emphasize that esophagectomy followed by transplantation of a free jejunal transfer is suitable for esophageal carcinoma or intractable esophageal stricture, and involvement of the midesophagus is not a contraindication to the use of the free Jejunal transfer.