[Esophagoplasty with right ileocolon, technical problems].

The authors present their experience with 14 cases of esophagoplasty by right ileocolon interposition which were performed to re-establish the digestive continuity in 12 patients operated on for caustic burns induced esophageal strictures and 2 patients with esophageal neoplasm managed by esophagectomy. The current study aims to pin/point both the anastomotic risk and the technical difficulties related to the colon interposition graft anatomic trajectory and vascular supply. Given the utmost importance of both the preoperative correction of the nutritional deficit and the improvement of pulmonary function the authors suggest that esophagoplasty should bu preceded by a "preoperative intervention", consisting of ileocolic artery ligation, gastrostomy and pleural drainage. The acute respiratory failure was the immediate main threat following esophagoplasty, whereas cervical anastomotic breakdown was the complication which dominated the early postoperative period in terms of frequency and gravity, but the death rate was nil. When esophagoplasty by right ileocolon interposition simplicity and efficacy are taken into account it appears as the surgical therapy of choice whenever the local and general status of the patients allows it.