Manual and mechanical cervical esophagogastric anastomosis after esophageal Resection: A comparison

Abstract

Anastomotic complications after esophagectomy continue to be a burden jeopardizing the quality of life and of swallowing. However, incidence, mortality and morbidity of anastomotic complications have substantially decreased in recent years. It seems that this is not so much related to the use of a particular conduit, approach or route for reconstruction, but rather related to refinement in anastomotic techniques and perhaps even more to progress in modern perioperative management. Knowledge of surgical anatomy and meticulous technique are of paramount importance and obviously related to individual expertise. Aims 1. To compare the rates of anastomotic leaks after cervical esophagogastric anastomosis (CEGA) done by hand-sewn (end-to-side) technique and by linear stapled anastomosis (side-to-side) technique. 2. To compare the rates of postoperative anastomotic stricture after cervical esophagogastric anastomosis (CEGA) done by hand-sewn (end-to-side) technique and by linear stapled anastomosis (side-to-side) technique. Index terms: Cervical Esophagogastric Anastomosis (CEGA), Esophagectomy, Esophageal Resection, Anastomotic leaks, Hand sewn anastomosis, Stapled anastomosis, gastrostomy.