[Transmediastinal esophagectomy without thoracotomy in cancer of the esophagus]

Between 1987 and 1990 twenty report cases who suffered carcinoma of the esophagus underwent transmediastinal esophagectomy without thoracotomy at the Surgery Service of the Edgardo Rehabilitation Hospital. Of the report cases 90% were at stage III, 5% of stage II and 5% at stage I of the TNM Classification. Post operative complications were cervical leaks, transitory dysphonia and respiratory illness, and were solved by conservative management. Only one case died with sepsis and mediastinitis, this represents an inpatient mortality of 5%. There were no hemorrhagic complications, nor chylothorax neither visceral necrosis during surgical time. Transmediastinal esophagectomy offers a good choice for the management of surgical cases, it has low mortality, morbidity and similar survival time than other procedures.