Aims: The stricture of the anastomosis is one of the most common complications of the subtotal esophageal resections. The authors present indications, technics and results of the endoscopic dilatation.
Patients and methods: In a 10 year period 26 patients (22 male, 4 female, mean age of 53.7 years) with stricture of anastomosis between the esophagus and the neo-esophagus after subtotal esophageal resection were dilated endoscopically 82 times. The indication of the resection was tumour in 23 (88.5%) cases, congenital atresia in 2 (7.7%) cases and corrosive disease in one (3.8%) case. In 7 (31.8%) cases the stricture developed after anastomosis leakage. The mean time between the operation and the dilatation was 7.8 months. The cause of the stricture was cancer recurrency in 4 (15.4%) cases.
Results: There were no complications related to the dilatation. The mean number of the dilatation was 3.2 (1-9). There was no significant difference between the number of dilatation in patients with or without previously anastomotic leakage. The success rate of the dilatation for benign strictures was 95.5%. In only one patient (4.5%) was needed operative intervention. In the 4 patients with tumour recurrency a stent was also implanted in the stenosis.
Conclusions: The endoscopic dilatation for the treatment of the cervical anastomosis stricture after subtotal esophageal resection is a successful method with a low rate of complications. In cases of tumour recurrency a stent implantation is suggested.