Use of esophagectomy to treat recurrent hyperplastic tissue obstruction caused by multiple metallic stent insertion for corrosive stricture

Abstract

We report a case of a 75-year-old woman who received repeated metallic stent insertion for corrosive esophageal injury. She underwent esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction about 3 years after injury because both stents were occluded in turn by overgrowth of granulation tissue. The gross and microscopic changes of the esophagus secondary to prolonged stent insertion are described. In the literature, no reports of similar cases have been recorded. Our limited experience revealed that using metallic stents to treat benign esophageal stricture should be handled very cautiously because of the complications which can commonly occur and are difficult to manage. Repeated stent insertion, although effective for temporarily relieving dysphagia, is ineffective in the long run and can create complications. We suggest that the feasibility of esophagectomy should be evaluated after the improvement of the general condition of the patient.