Esophageal reconstruction with intraoperative dilatation of the hypopharynx for the management of chronic corrosive esophageal strictures. A technical tip

Abstract

Chronic corrosive strictures of the upper cervical esophagus and hypopharynx resulting from ingestion of caustic substances are a challenging surgical entity when repeated endoscopic dilatations fail to yield satisfactory results. Restoring the continuity of the upper digestive tract by esophageal substitution at healthy tissue margins not only compromises the integrity of the swallowing mechanism, but also often requires the performance of a tracheostomy in order to ensure avoidance of recurrent aspirations. We describe three cases of corrosive upper cervical esophageal strictures treated with intraoperative dilatation of the proximal hypopharyngeal stump and concurrent 'stenting' of the pharyngeal anastomosis with the conduit replacing the esophagus. All patients tolerated the procedure well. Avoidance of both impairment of deglutition and respiratory complications, as well as restoration of normal esophageal function, was successfully accomplished.