Reliable cervical anastomosis through the retrosternal route with stepwise gastric tube.

Objectives: An extra-anatomic reconstruction would be beneficial in preventing recurrent malignant dysphagia. A long gastric tube that allowed a sufficient blood flow was necessary to perform the successful cervical anastomosis through the retrosternal route.

Methods: The gastric tube was created by means of separate division and closure of the seromuscular and submucosal-mucosal layers (stepwise group) in 15 consecutive patients and by means of full-thickness cutting of the stomach and closure of the seromuscular layer (standard group) in 22 patients. We compared these 2 types of gastroplasties in terms of total length of the tube, blood flow, and the incidence of anastomotic leakage. Blood flow was measured with a laser Doppler flowmeter during surgical intervention.

Results: The gastric tube in the stepwise group was significantly longer than that in the standard group (P <.01, unpaired t test). Tissue blood flow at the site of anastomosis in the stepwise group was significantly greater than that in the standard group (P <.01, unpaired t test), and the rate of anastomotic leakage in the stepwise group was significantly lower than that in the standard group (P <.05, chi(2) test).

Conclusion: We consider this technique to be a useful procedure for retrosternal reconstruction after subtotal esophagectomy.