Modification of the Postlethwait Method in Improvement of Esophageal Bypass: An Essential Treating Method
Masahiro Kimura *
Department of Surgery, Nagoya City East Medical Center, 2-23 Wakamizu 1, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Yasuyuki Shibata
Department of Surgery, Nagoya City East Medical Center, 2-23 Wakamizu 1, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Akira Mitsui
Department of Surgery, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Japan.
Yoshiyuki Kuwabara
Department of Surgery, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Japan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The quality of life for patients with inoperative esophageal cancer is poor due to dysphagia caused by stenosis or development of a tracheoesophageal fistula. One option for these patients is bypass surgery. These patients are often medical compromised and have a poor prognosis. Consequently, any palliative surgical intervention should be definitiuve and minimally invasive. We have improved upon esophageal bypass surgery as originally described by Postlethwait by using a radial stapler to form the gastric tube.
Keywords: Esophageal bypass surgery, Postlethwait method, surgical stapler.