Endoscopic stent insertion for anastomotic leakage following oesophagectomy

IntroductionIntrathoracic anastomotic leakage following oesophagectomy is a crushing condition. Until recently, surgical re-exploration was the preferred way of dealing with this life threatening complication. However, mortality remained significant. We therefore adopted endoscopic stent implantation as the primary treatment option. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and results of endoscopic stent implantation as well as potential hazards and pitfalls. MethodsBetween January 2004 and December 2011, 292 consecutive patients who underwent an oesophagectomy at a single high volume centre dedicated to oesophageal surgery were included in this retrospective study. Overall, 38 cases with anastomotic leakage were identified and analysed. ResultsA total of 22 patients received endoscopic stent implantation as primary treatment whereas a rethoracotomy was mandatory in 15 cases. There were no significant differences in age, frequency of neoadjuvant therapy or ASA grade between cases with and ...