Telescopic esophageal anastomosis: operative technique, clinical experiences

The authors reconstructed the continuity of the alimentary tract by performing telescopic esophagogastrostoma in 208 patients who underwent either esophageal resection or total gastrectomy. The substance of the telescopic technique is to invaginate the distal section of any oral tubular organ to the lumen of an aboral tubular one and to fix it there. In case of telescopic esophageal anastomosis a 10-15 mm long esophageal segment is invaginated into the gastric tube or jejunum. A 3-4 mm wide serosal surface of the wall of the distal anastomosing organ straps the esophagus circularly. Ninety-six transthoracic and 12 transhiatal esophagectomies, 19 partial esophageal resections, four esophageal bypasses, and 77 total or extended total gastrectomies were reconstructed using telescopic anastomosis. Undisturbed healing could be observed in 67 patients after esophageal operations and in 46 patients of total gastrectomies. Anastomosis leakage occurred in 12 of 108 patients (11.1%) after cervical esophagogastrostomy. Leakage could be observed in 7 of 44 patients (15.9%) after end to side and in 5 of 64 patients (7.8%) in case of end to end esophago gastrostoma. There were no failures after two cases of cervical esophago-ileocolostoma and 21 of esophagogastrostomas in the thoracic position. All of the 59 intra-abdominal anastomoses healed without complication. Thirteen of 131 patients (9.9%) died after esophageal operations and four of 77 (5.2%) after gastrectomies. There were no mortal complications due to anastomotic leakage. The telescopic anastomosis is a safe alternative method in cases of total gastrectomy or esophageal operation.