[Which tube is better for esophagectomy?].

We performed differential lung ventilation for thoracoscopic esophagectomy. There are 2 tools available for differential lung ventilation: double lumen tube (DLT) and endbronchial blocker tube (blocker). We reviewed the best tube by studying esophageal cancer perioperative findings in thoracoscopic esophagectomy. We examined 85 esophagectomy cases from 2007, in which we used a blocker combined with a spiral tracheal tube or DLT. An average of 1.5 times displacement of the blocker occurred in blocker cases and resulted in ventilation inability requiring a surgical interruption. Because bronchial displacement was present, 2 cases had to block it in an intermediate bronchial trunk. In DLT cases, tube movement was not seen and we could maintain good ventilation. However, lymph node dissection (LND) was difficult in DLT cases and DLT required exchange via a spiral tube for cervical LND. Next, we compared 4 DLTs, and found that the phi con DLT tube was the best because of its pliability. We concluded that the best tube for esophagectomy is a phi con DLT because it allows easy control of the differential lung ventilation and this tube does not interfere with surgery.