Late-onset anastomotic leak following sweet esophagectomy: A case report and review of the literature.

Rationale: Late-onset anastomotic leak (AL) is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication after esophagectomy.

Patient Concerns: A 74-year-old male patient was readmitted due to chest distress and chills about 3 months after initial esophagectomy for cancer.

Diagnoses: The previous endoscopic biopsy revealed primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and sweet esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction was therefore performed. The patient developed AL 3 months after the surgery.

Interventions: Naso-leakage extraluminal drainage tube was utilized because the symptoms of the patient were aggravated 1 month after the chest tube drainage since his second admission for AL.

Outcomes: Twenty-one days after naso-leakage extraluminal drainage, the computed tomography images showed the healing of the leakage. Then the patient was discharged from the hospital.

Lessons: Late-onset AL should be kept in mind when the patient complained of chest distress and fever during the follow up after esophagectomy. In addition, naso-leakage extraluminal drainage could be considered for the treatment of AL. Further trials for better evidence are warranted.