Surgical Treatment of Carcinoma of the Cervical Esophagus

Abstract

Several considerations were undertaken on the problems in surgical treatment of carcinoma of the cervical esophagus on the basis of our experience on 12 cases. Of 8 patients who underwent resection of the lesions and reconstruction of the esophagus, 5 had the resected portion of the esophogus replaced by a colon segment with vascular pedicle, and showed a satisfactory postoperative result. In one of the recent cases, “blunt dissection” of the esophagus was performed and a skip lesion was disclosed in the esophageal mucos a far apart from the primary. On deciding the surgical indication and extent of lymph node removal in this particular lesion, we pay a special attention to the local findings and locate the lesion based on the level of the esophageal orifice at the lowest line of the 6th vertebral body evident on the x-ray films.We would like to emphasize that a combined resection of the pharynx in association with esophagectomy and wide-spread removal of the cervical lymph nodes should be considered depending upon the findings of each case. One of our patients receiving cervical esophagectomy and reconstruction with a colon segment now postoperative at 6 years and 3 months is capable of “colonophony” and uneventful for his routine living.