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Updated: Apr 29, 2026

An Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy Designed to Minimize Anastomotic Complications and Optimize Conduit Function
Published on: April 17, 2020
[Analysis of 19 cases undergoing reoperation for complications following esophagectomy]
Yongbo Yang1, Wanpu Yan, Hongchao Xiong
1Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department I( of Thoracic Surgery, Peking Cancer Hospital and Institute, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing 100142, China. chenkeneng@bjmu.edu.cn.
Objective:
To investigate the cause and the management of treatment and prevention of reoperation following esophagectomy.
Methods:
Clinical data of 946 cases with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy from January 2000 to December 2012 by the same surgical team in the Beijing Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 19 patients underwent reoperation after esophagectomy because of serious complications. Clinical features and treatment course of these 19 cases were summarized.
Results:
The indications and procedures of reoperation included thoracotomy for hemorrhage (n=4), diaphragmatic hernia repair (n=4), thoracic duct ligation for chylothorax (n= 4), re-suturing for incision dehiscence (n=4), re-laparotomy and re-thoracotomy for drainage of traumatic pancreatitis (n=1), re-laparotomy for intestinal obstruction (n=1), and tracheotomy for bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (n=1). All the 19 patients were successfully cured without perioperative deaths and further complications.
Conclusions:
The indications of reoperation following esophagectomy include postoperative bleeding, diaphragmatic hernia, chylothorax and abdominal incision dehiscence.
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