Bypass laparoscopic procedure for palliation of esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is a devastating disease with rapidly increasing incidence in Western countries. Dysphagia is the most common complication, causing severe malnutrition and reduced quality of life. A 69-year-old male with persistent esophageal cancer after radiation therapy was subjected to palliative by-pass surgery using a laparoscopic approach. Due to the advanced stage at diagnosis, palliative treatment was a more realistic option. Dysphagia is a most distressing symptom of this disease, causing malnutrition and reducing quality of life. The goal of palliation is to improve swallowing. The most common methods applied are endoscopic stenting, radiation therapy (external or brachytherapy), chemotherapy, yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser rechanneling or endoscopic dilatation. Palliative surgery is rarely proposed due to morbidity and complications. This paper demonstrates an update in the technique proposed by Postlethwait in 1979 for palliation of esophageal cancer.