Impact of the Level of Anastomosis on Reflux Esophagitis Following Esophagectomy with Gastric Tube Reconstruction

Background Among patients who undergo gastric tube reconstruction after esophagectomy, it is generally accepted that the incidence of reflux esophagitis (RE) is significantly lower in patients with neck anastomosis than in those with intrathoracic anastomosis. However, the true impact of the level of anastomosis on RE currently remains unclear. Methods We examined 53 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer underwent radical esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction and neck anastomosis. The level of anastomosis was assessed by measuring the distance from the sternal notch to the stapled ring by computed tomography. The relative level of anastomosis was calculated by the distance from the sternal notch to the most caudal side of the stapled ring (mm)/height (cm). Results The relative level of anastomosis in 30 (56.6%) patients showed