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Updated: May 3, 2026

Tissue-Engineered Graft for Circumferential Esophageal Reconstruction in Rats
Published on: February 10, 2020
Partial esophageal transplantation is possible as part of a multivisceral graft
1Department of Surgery and Pediatric Transplant Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
We report a case of a 9-year-old female with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), which involved the upper retroperitoneum, visceral vessels, stomach and distal esophagus. Complete resection of the tumor required a multivisceral (MV) transplant. Due to tumor involvement, resection of the distal third of recipient esophagus was necessary. Gastrointestinal continuity was subsequently established via esophagoesophagostomy to donor esophagus en bloc with a standard MV graft. After 1.9 years of follow-up, the patient has no symptoms of dysphagia or reflux. This case illustrates the feasibility of including the distal donor esophagus as part of an MV graft.
We report a case of a 9-year-old female with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), which involved the upper retroperitoneum, visceral vessels, stomach and distal esophagus. Complete resection of the tumor required a multivisceral (MV) transplant. Due to tumor involvement, resection of the distal third of recipient esophagus was necessary. Gastrointestinal continuity was subsequently established via esophagoesophagostomy to donor esophagus en bloc with a standard MV graft. After 1.9 years of follow-up, the patient has no symptoms of dysphagia or reflux. This case illustrates the feasibility of including the distal donor esophagus as part of an MV graft.

