Right colon interposition in corrosive esophageal long segment stricture: our local experience

Aim of our study is to highlight technical details in pedicled right colon interposition locally in cases of long segment corrosive esophageal stricture. Lesion results from cicatrization of burns wound inflicted by chemicals. Restoration of swallowing is of paramount importance.

It was a retrospective study involving adult and adolescent patients who had surgery because of corrosive esophageal stricture between January 2001 and December 2010. Hospital records were reviewed for age, sex, radiological findings, detail of anesthesia, operative procedure, and follow up. The steps which included mobilization of colon with intact marginal blood supply, safeguarding the middle colic artery that forms the pedicle, and doing three anastomoses that were leak proof were ascertained.

There were 12 males (70.5%) and six females (29.4%) and age ranged from 14 to 45 years. Caustic soda caused the problem among 10 (58.8%) patients while liquid acid battery was involved in three (17.6%) patients. The rest were distributed equally between native concoction and unknown substance. All were done under general anesthesia and mean duration of the procedure was 306.8 ± 54.6 min with an average intra operative blood loss of 823.1 ± 428.5 m. Sixteen (94.1%) had successful pedicle isolation and 15 (82.3%) patients had neither dysphagia nor reflux at follow-up.

Securing a pedicled right colon based on middle colic artery was a critical step. This surgical technique should be used to restore swallowing among patients with long segment esophageal stricture.