Esophagectomy without thoracotomy

Abstract

The results of using an advantaged esophagectomy without thoracotomy. Fifteen patients were operated on from 1984 to 1988 by this operative technique. Twelve patients had esophageal cancer and 3 (three) benign diseases. Fistula occurred in 6.6% (1 patient); monolateral pneumothorax in 20% (3 patients). The post-operative mortality was 6.6% (1 patient). The results obtained suggest that esophagectomy without thoracotomy is a good, less traumatic procedure in surgical management of extrathoracic and intrathoracic (palliative surgery) esophageal cancer and benign esophageal diseases.