Carcinoma of the esophagus. An aggressive one-stage palliative approach

We reviewed the records of 44 consecutive patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma treated at either a Veterans Administration or a city-country hospital. The patients, 38 men and six women, ranged in age from 27 to 72 years and had been referred for operative management. The average duration of dysphagia was 5 months. All patients underwent a one-stage esophagogastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy. The last 34 patients also had a modified fundoplication. Lesions at the gastroesophageal junction were approached via a low left thoracotomy and the others via a simultaneous right thoracotomy and laparotomy. All patients had preoperative enteral or parenteral hyperalimentation. Seven patients died within 30 days after operation (operative mortality 16%). Twenty-six patients lived from 3 to 28 months postoperatively (average 11.5 months). Eleven are alive at present (average 10 months). Postoperative complications were as follows: anastomotic leak, three patients (two died); respiratory failure, four (two died); stricture, three; myocardial infarction, two (two died); cholecystitis, one; and pulmonary embolus, one (patient died). Thirty-four patients had modified fundoplication, and an inconsequential anastomotic leak developed in one. In contrast, two of the 10 patients who did not have modified fundoplication died as a result of anastomotic leak. Preoperative hospital stay ranged from 10 to 28 days (average 18); postoperative stay ranged from 10 to 40 days (average 16). Except for the three patients in whom stricture developed, all patients (92%) had continuous relief of dysphagia. We conclude that one-stage esophagogastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy is applicable in most cases and is associated with both satisfactory long-term palliation and a reasonable period of hospitalization. The addition of a modified fundoplication results in a relatively low rate of anastomotic leak.