Pectoralis myocutaneous flap with T-tube drainage for cervical anastomotic leakage after salvage operation

Abstract

We report a patient with complications of cervical esophageal anastomosis after esophagectomy for cancer. A 61-year-old woman with advanced cervical esophageal cancer underwent radical chemoradiotherapy (66 Gy, 5-fluorouracil, and cisplatin), after which salvage surgery was performed because of residual malignancy. Anastomotic leakage occurred at the right side of the pharyngojejunostomy, causing an abscess to form around the right carotid artery and internal jugular vein. The debrided abscess space was filled with a vascularized pectoralis major myocutaneous flap replenished around a T-tube, and continuous suction of the anastomotic drainage was performed through the T-tube. Treatment was successful, and the patient was discharged. We introduce a promising new method that proved effective and safe for treating a patient with leakage of the cervical esophagus anastomosis after salvage surgery following radical chemoradiotherapy.