[Transoral endoscopic minimally invasive surgery for hypopharyngeal postcricoid and upper esophageal lesions]

Objective:To describe the therapeutic effect of transoral endoscopic minimally invasive surgery for hypopharyngeal postcricoidarea and upper esophageal lesions. Method:Transoral endoscopic minimally invastive surgery was carried out in fifteen patients.There were 7 patients with primary tumors on the postcricoid area, including three squamous cell carcinoma（2 cases T2N0M0，1 case T2N2cM0），two cavernous hemangioma, one giant fibrovascular polyp and one recurrent lipofibroma. The transoral endoscopic tumors resection en bloc was performed in all of them. Adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy was applied in cases of cancer, and bilateral neck dissections was performed in the T2N2cM0 case; There were other eight patients with upper esophageal lesions , seven cases dysphagia was caused by stroke and one case was Zenker diverticulum, treated by endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy ordiverticulotomy. Result:The en bloc resection endoscopically was achieved in all of patients with tumors on the postcricoid area. All surgical resection margins were negative.The two cases of postcricoid cancer and four benign tumor were followed up 16-30 months and 2-12 months respectively, and all of the cases were not local recurrence. A recent patient with postcricoid cancer had not finished postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy. The endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy was effective in 4 out of 7 patients,nasogastric feeding was no longer required.Significant improvement occurred in Zenker diverticulotomy patient, due to the return of physiological deglutition, and Barium swallow study showing disappearance of the diverticulum after one month.The effects of minimally invasive threatment were satisfactory,such as not need tracheotomy and early oral feeding, shorter hospital stay and less postoperative complications. Conclusion:Transoral endoscopic surgery is minimally invastive, safe and effective treatment alternative for some hypopharyngeal postcricoid area and upper esophageal lesions.