Esophagectomy—It’s Not Just About Mortality Anymore: Standardized Perioperative Clinical Pathways Improve Outcomes in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND: Esophageal resection (ER) remains the standard therapy for early esophageal cancer; however, because of concerns regarding high levels of morbidity and mortality reported in analyses of national databases, many patients are relegated to less effective endoscopic or chemotherapeutic approaches. METHODS: All patients undergoing esophagectomy by a single surgeon for cancer or high-grade dysplasia between 05/91-05/06 were prospectively entered into an IRB-approved database. All aspects of work-up and treatment were guided by an evolving standardized perioperative clinical pathway. RESULTS: Three hundred forty consecutive patients, mean age of 64 (33-90), underwent ER for Barrett's esophagus (17) or invasive cancer stages I-87, II-133, III-94, IV-9. One hundred thirty-nine (41%) had neoadjuvant therapy. Sixty-three percent were American Society of Anesthesiologists class III or IV, and five different operative approaches were used. Patient were managed intraoperatively with a "fluid restriction" protocol. Mean intraoperative blood loss was 230 cc. 99.5% of patients were extubated immediately, and mean ICU and hospital stays were 2.25 (1-30) and 11.5 (6-49) days, respectively. Postoperative analgesia was managed with patient-controlled epidural analgesia in 98.5%, and 86% were mobilized on day 1 after surgery. Complications occurred in 153 patients (45%), most commonly atrial dysrhythmia (13%), and postoperative delirium (11%). Anastomotic leaks occurred in 13 patients (3.8%). Mortality occurred in one patient (0.3%). No significant differences were seen in length of stay, operative time, blood loss, or complications in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy. For stages I, II, and III, patients between 1998-2004 Kaplan-Meier 5-year cumulative survival was 92.4, 57.1, and 34.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of esophageal cancer can be done with moderate morbidity and very low mortality, and the expectation of improved levels of survival, especially in early-stage patients. Standardized perioperative clinical pathways can provide the infrastructure for the treatment of these patients and should include increased efforts to minimize blood loss and transfusions, improve postoperative pain control and extubation rates, and facilitate early mobilization and discharge. ER, as sole therapy or in combination with radiation/chemotherapy, should remain the standard of care in patients with early and locoregional esophageal cancer.     

纵隔引流管对食管癌术后吻合口瘘、心肺并发症的临床意义

目的探讨纵隔引流管防治食管癌切除术术后吻合口瘘、心肺并发症的临床意义。方法回顾性分析2009年至2011年160例食管癌患者（研究组）手术中放置纵隔引流管对术后吻合口瘘、心肺并发症的影响;同期选择2007年至2009年的158例食管癌手术患者（对照组）作对照比较。结果研究组和对照组术后吻合口痿发生率分别为3．1％（5／160）和3．8％（6／158）,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）;术后肺部感染发生率分别为12．5％（20／160）和25．6％（41／158）,心脏并发症发生率为16．9％（27／160）和35．4％（56／158）,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。对照组中大于60岁和有合并症的患者术后心肺并发症发生率与≤60岁和无合并症比较差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;但是对照组中患者心肺并发症发生率在性别、肿瘤部位、TNM分期及切口类型中比较差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论术中放置纵隔引流管虽然不能降低食管癌切除术术后吻合口瘘的发生率,但是有助于减少心肺并发症的发生,特别是对高龄或具有心肺基础疾病的患者。     

右胸及上腹两切口在食管中段癌手术中的应用

目的观察两切口术式行食管中段癌切除的优点和近期疗效及两种不同手术顺序的比较。方法对139例食管中段癌采用右胸后外侧加上腹正中两切口术式观察其优点及术后并发症情况,并进行两种不同手术顺序(开胸与开腹的先后)的比较。结果全组1例死亡0.7%(1/139),无切缘肿瘤细胞阳性、吻合口瘘及乳糜胸发生。结论食管中段癌采用右胸及上腹两切口术式具有切除率高、手术操作方便、术后并发症少及手术安全等特点。     

老年人食管癌的外科治疗

1材料和方法1.1研究对象1999年3月至2003年2月的238例食管癌根治手术患者,男157例,女81例。年龄60～84岁,平均(66±3.5)岁。其中年龄≥70岁患者36例,包括男24例,女12例,平均(75±3.4)岁。病变长度2.5～8cm。病变位于食管上段19例,中段141例,下段78例。病理类型:鳞癌206例,腺癌2     

A case of severe chylothorax after esophagectomy successfully treated by a new combination of continuous positive-pressure ventilation plus chemical pleurodesis

Postoperative chylothorax is an uncommon but well-recognized and potentially life-threatening complication of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Its management remains controversial. A 71-year-old man with cancer of the thoracic esophagus was admitted to our hospital. A standard curative esophagectomy with extensive lymphadenectomy was performed. Two days after operation, chest roentgenography and computed tomography showed a massive right pleural effusion. A thoracic tube was placed in the right pleural cavity. The drainage volume of pleural effusion increased (up to 1500 ml/day), and chylothorax was diagnosed. Conservative drainage was continued for 4 days, but chyle leakage persisted. Minocycline hydrochloride 200 mg diluted in 50 ml saline was infused into the right pleural cavity through the tube to seal the leak. The patient concurrently received continuous positive-pressure ventilation (CPPV). The effusion completely resolved 30 h after beginning this combined treatment. To our knowledge, the treatment of chylothorax by CPPV plus chemical pleurodesis has not been reported previously in the English-language literature. Our method is simple, rapid, and may be a treatment option for patients with persistent chylothorax after esophagectomy that does not respond to conservative management or for patients in whom surgery is contraindicated.     

A case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus with long-term survival

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is uncommon, and its prognosis is poor compared to that of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Here we describe a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus with a long-term survival. A 52-year-old woman received an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and an upper gastrointestinal series for a dull back pain and dysphagia. A pigmented polypoid tumor in the esophagus was discovered and diagnosed pathologically as a malignant melanoma on the biopsied specimen. After effective chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP), the patient underwent surgical operation. A subtotal esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection was performed through a right thoracotomy. No distant metastasis including liver and lung was found, and histopathological examination revealed no lymph node metastasis. Postoperatively, six courses of chemotherapy with CDDP were performed. The patient has been alive without any problems for more than 11 years postoperatively.     

predictors for failure of stent treatment for benign esophageal perforations- a single center 10-year experience

AIM:To investigate possible predictors for failed selfexpandable metallic stent(SEMS)therapy in consecutive patients with benign esophageal perforationrupture(EPR).METHODS:All patients between 2003-2013 treated for EPR at the Karolinska University Hospital,a tertiary referral center,were studied with regard to initial management with SEMS.Patients with malignancy as an underlying cause and those with anastomotic leakages were excluded.Sealing of the perforation with a covered SEMS was the primary strategy whenever feasible.Stent therapy failure was defined as a radical change of treatment strategy due to uncontrolled mediastinitis,which in this setting consisted of emergency esophagectomy with end-esophagostomy or death as a consequence of the perforation and subsequent uncontrolled sepsis.Patient and lesion characteristics were analyzed and are presented as median and interquartile range.Possible predictors for failed stent therapy were analyzed with uni-variate logistic regression,while variables with P<0.2 were further analyzed with multi-variate logistic regression.RESULTS:Of the total number of 48 patients presenting with EPR,40 patients(83.3%)were treated with SEMS at the time of admission,with an intention to heal the perforation.Twenty-three patients had Boerhaave’s syndrome(58%),16 had an iatrogenic perforation(40%)and 1 had external trauma to the esophagus(3%).The total in-hospital mortality,including the cases that had other initial treatments(n=8),was10.4%and 7.5%among those who were subjected to the SEMS-based strategy.In 33 of the 40 patients(82.5%)who were treated with stent,the EPR healed without further change in treatment strategy.Patients classified as treatment success received a SEMS at a median time of 1(1-1)d after the actual EPR,compared to 3(1-10)d among those where the initial treatment failed,P=0.039 in uni-variate analysis and P=0.052 in multi-variate analysis.No other significant factors emerged,indicating an increased risk for failure.Six of 7 patients,where stent treatment of the defect failed,underwent an emergency esophagectomy with end esophagostomy and one patient died.CONCLUSION:SEMS as an upfront therapeutic strategy seems to be a successful concept,when applied to an unselected group of patients with EPR.