[Complications after esophageal resection due to cancer]

The aim of the study was to evaluate complications searching for ways of decreasing their incidence. 225 patients with the diagnosis of thoracic esophageal cancer had been treated in the Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Medicala Academy, Szczecin, within the period of 1984-1995, esophageal resection was done in 90 of them and 75 were submitted to the analysis. The majority of patients i.e. 65 of them had esophagogastric anastomosis performed within the thorax while in 10 patients the anastomosis was accomplished in the neck. Complications concerning cardiovascular and respiratory system wound healing, anastomotic leakage and gastric blood supply have been analysed. Cardiovascular and respiratory complications occurred in 24 and 66 per cent of patients with mortality rate of 28.6 and 12 per cent, respectively. Wound healing disturbances were found in 3.7 per cent of patients. Anastomotic fistulas and necrosis of the stomach were observed in 4 and 5.3 per cent of patients with mortality rate of 75 and 100 per cent, respectively. A statistically significant correlation between the incidence of cardiovascular complications and disease stage was found. Only in patients operated on in I and II disease stage can we expect the serious complications to be less frequent.