BACKGROUND: The diagnose of esophageal cancer is in general done clinically late, remaining the palliative treatment the only possibility to improve the quality of life. The isoperistaltic gastric tube transposition may be used, however, if leakage happens, the swallow may be hindered, compromising deglutition. AIM: To evaluate the complications that can happen in the cervical esophagogastric anastomosis done with stapler, in patients with non resectable esophageal cancer. METHOD: Twenty two patients with non resectable esophageal cancer were submitted to an isoperistaltic gastric tube transposition. The esophagogastric anastomosis was made with circular stapler. Systemic and local complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Ten patients (45,5%) presented 1 to 3 complications, and in 6 (27,2%) of them, systemic ones. There were one (4,5%) case of lung embolism (with death), one miocardial infarction and four lung infections (all of them with good clinical evolution). Five had local complications; in three (13,6%), anastomotic leakage, and in four (18,2%), anastomotic stricture among the ones that had previous leakage. Twenty patients were followed through 11 months, and 16 (80%) of them maintained satisfactory swallow to solid and/or semi-solid meals. CONCLUSION: The isoperistaltic gastric tube of greater curvature with stapler suture seems to offer significant improvement on swallow with satisfactory quality of life and acceptable morbi-mortality.
Esophageal carcinoma
