Rehabilitation problems after pharyngogastric anastomosis

Fifty-three patients had pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy during the years 1965 to 1976 for lower hypopharyngeal or cervical esophageal cancer. The operative mortality--defined as the percent of patients who died within seven days of operation--was 7.5%, which is reduced to 5.6% if one patient with inoperable disease is excluded. Twenty-eight percent of patients survived for longer than one year, and there have been no problems with swallowing. Communication is possible in every patient who possesses good motivation, but the problems of long-term management of calcium metabolism still require attention.