Clinical significance of tissue blood flow during esophagectomy by laser Doppler flowmetry

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to investigate the effect of tissue blood flow on the incidence of anastomotic leakage during esophagectomy. Methods: Reconstruction was done with a gastric tube, and all cases involved cervical anastomosis. Tissue blood flow of 43 patients was measured with a laser Doppler flowmeter before emplacement and after anastomosis during surgical intervention. The reconstruction route and tissue blood flow before emplacement and that after anastomosis were analyzed as possible factors influencing anastomotic leakage. Results: Tissue blood flow after anastomosis with leakage was 9.1 ± 2.0 mL/min per 100 g, and that without leakage was 13.7 ± 2.9 mL/min per 100 g. Tissue blood flow with leakage was significantly lower than that without leakage (P