Surgical Management of Benign Coloesophageal Stricture: a Novel Technique

Benign coloesophageal anastomotic stricture in postoperative colon bypass patients suffering from the corrosive stricture of the upper esophagus is a challenging problem. Failure of repeated endoscopic balloon dilatation makes way for revisional operative techniques like free jejunal grafts or interposition skin tube based on radial vessels. The situation arising from the morbidity of such reconstructive procedures, at times, becomes more complex than the stricture itself [1]. This clinical scenario has compelled us to innovate with a much simpler technique using buccal mucosal graft (BMG) to manage these strictures. Currently, the utility of BMG is mostly limited to urethral reconstruction. Overtime, it has become an ideal urethral substitute. Here, we present a case series of five patients who have been subjected to coloesophagoplasty with BMG and have demonstrated excellent results. With a median follow-up of 13 months, all patients have fully recovered and are taking solid and liquid foods satisfactorily. Thus, the option of coloesophagoplasty with BMG should always be kept in consideration while planning a revision surgery for a small-segment benign coloesophageal anastomotic stricture in the corrosive injury of the esophagus, considering the ease and excellent outcome.