Perioperative complications of esophagectomy - prevention, diagnosis and management

Abstract

Esophageal resection with reconstruction is complex surgical procedure with high rate of postoperative morbidity, with decreasing mortality rate during last decades, particularly in high-volume hospitals. Numerous preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors have contribute to incidence and type of complications. Intraoperative haemorrhage and tracheobronchial lesions could be avoid by good surgical judgement and operative technique. Pulmonary complications are often, with multifactorial etiology, and they are the main cause of postoperative mortality after esophagectomy. Dehiscence of esophageal anastomosis could be fatal, and only high index of suspicion and early diagnosis lead to successful treatment. In majority of such cases conservative measures are successful, however, conduit necrosis is indication for surgical reoperation. Vocal cord palsy due to intraoperative injury of recurrent laryngeal nerves is not rare and increases pulmonary complications rate. New onset of arrhythmia could be associate with other surgical complications. Postesophagectomy chylothorax is life-threatening complication due to rapid development of immunosuppression and septic complications, and early ligation of thoracic duct is often mandatory. Intrathoracic herniation of intrabdominal viscera is rare, and ischemic spinal cord lesions are very rare after esophagectomy. Majority of perioperative complications could be prevented or solved, decreasing mortality rate of esophagectomy.