[Reconstruction of the cervical oesophagus (author's transl)]

From the numerous methods of reconstruction of the hypopharynx and cervical oesophagus following laryngopharyngectomy a modification of the classical procedure of Gluck and Soerensen is described. the oesophagus is reconstructed 4-5 weeks after the primary excision by two medially based "swinging door" cervical skin flaps with overall wound cover by a deltopectoral flap. This method has been used successfully on 6 patients in the past 2 years and has proved technically simple and functionally sound.