[Clinical evaluation of systematic lymph node dissection for the intrathoracic esophageal carcinoma]

We evaluated the effectiveness and complication of systematic lymph node dissection for the intrathoracic esophageal carcinoma, which includes cervical, intrathoracic and abdominal lymph node dissection. Two hundred and thirteen individuals with intrathoracic esophageal carcinoma underwent esophageal resection in the Department of Surgery II, Kyushu University from 1979 to 1988. Of these 213, systematic lymph node dissection in addition to esophageal resection was performed on 19 patients. Lymph node recurrence has been reduced with this procedure and survival rate was more favorable in the cases with systematic lymph node dissection than those without it at present. On the other hand, although the occurrence of postoperative recurrent nerve palsy in the cases with systematic lymph node dissection and in those without it were 47.4 and 11.9%, rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were 5.2 and 16.0%, respectively. Operative death was none in those with systematic lymph node dissection. Therefore, this procedure has been performed in safety with intensive perioperative cares and it would contribute more favorable prognosis.