[Clinical consideration on 8 cases of post-esophagectomy chylothorax]

We performed 250 chest esophagus cancer operation from 1998 through 2008 in our department. It was 8 cases (3.2%) that post esophagectomy chylothorax developed. The surgical therapy performed thoracotomy in 2 patients, and 2 patients performed thoracoscopic surgery. We used an extended image with the thoracoscope for all surgery cases. Therefore, we were able to conduct identification of chyle leakage department easily. In the course after the treatment, we divided cases into a surgery treatment group and the non-surgery treatment group and compared a period until oral intake initiation and the postoperative hospitalization. The oral intake initiation was an average of 16.7 days in the surgery treatment group. Also, the hospitalization after surgery was an average of 44.3 days. In contrast, the oral intake initiation was an average of 35 days in the non-surgery treatment group. Also, the hospitalization after surgery was an average of 56 days. Oral intake initiation and a discharge were possible earlier in a surgery treatment group.