RECONSTRUCTION OF ESOPHAGUS WITH WHOLE STOMACH THROUGH ESOPHAGEAL BED AFTER RESECTION OF THE UPPER ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA A REPORT OF 160 CASES

From September 1985 to December 1992, 160 cases of reconstruction of the esophagus with the whole stomach through the esophageal bed after resection of the upper esophageal carcinoma were performed with neither operative mortality nor intrathoracic complications. The leakage rate of the cervical anastomosis with Gambee’s single layer methodwas 1.2%. The main steps of the operative procedure consisted of: (1) making a right thoracotomy for dissecting and removing the entire thoracic esophagus; (2) laparotomy for mobilizing the whole stomach, constricting it to tube shape and doing a pyloroplasty; and (3) pulling up the mobilized tube-like stomach through the posterior mediastinal space(i.e, the esophageal bed) out of the left neck incision and then the esophagogastrostomy with Gambee’s single layer anastomosis was performed.