Jejunal loop bypass and fundoplication for malignant esophagobronchial fistula

A new operation was designed to supplement the Kirschner operation for patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the esophagus and who, in addition, had had a gastrectomy for peptic ulcer disease. Bypass of the esophageal obstruction was by jejunal loop, and gastroesophageal reflux was prevented by fundoplication. Eighteen patients underwent this operation with a mortality of 27.8 per cent. Death occurred in one of the three patients with leakage of the esophagojejunal anastomosis. One patient had gangrene of the jejunal loop develop. Severe bronchopneumonia was the cause of death in all five. The functional result in the surviving patients was satisfactory and they lived for a mean period of 3.6 months postoperatively. It is not advocated that this operation replace the Kirschner operation, which we consider the operation of choice for locally advanced carcinoma of the esophagus, but as an alternative procedure in those patients in whom a previous gastric resection precluded a Kirschner operation.