[Cervical interventions on the airway and esophagus in infiltrating thyroid cancer]

In 1989 und 1990 a resection within the region of the cervical airways and/or oesophagus was performed for an infiltrating tumor in 9 out of 95 patients (9.5%) suffering from thyroid carcinoma and in one patient with lymph node metastases from a carcinoma of the uterine cervix. There was no operative mortality. One patient died six weeks after resecting the anterior wall of the trachea of an intratracheal arterial bleeding due to radiation therapy. In one case the reconstruction of the trachea was performed with autologous material, in three patients alloplastic material was used. The oesophagus was reconstructed preferably by means of free microvascular jejunum autografts (n = 4), using a colon interposition in another two patients. In locally advanced differentiated and medullary thyroid carcinoma curative operations of the cervical hollow organs using microsurgical techniques can be performed with an acceptable operative risk and good functional results. They may markedly improve the otherwise limited prognosis of the disease.