Formation of the upper gastrointestinal tract for patients who underwent total esophago-gastrectomy due to caustic ingestion: Case series

Abstract

Introduction and importance: No case has been reported regarding esophago-gastrectomy due to caustic chemicals in the literature.

Case presentation: The first case was a 43-year-old woman with BMI 28.5. After one month of taking a weight loss drug called HERBAL, the patient experienced vomiting, and signs of progressive dysphagia, while being unable to eat any solid food. Endoscopy results revealed many scars causing the narrowing of the esophagus, starting from the upper third of the esophagus, 25cm from the dental arch. After 2 months, she lost 26kg (BMI 18.3). Endoscopic reexamination showed the esophagus's stricture, 25cm from the dental arch. X-ray also showed that the esophagus and stomach were completely narrow and atrophied. The second case was a 37-year-old woman who suffered from domestic violence and drunk about 50 ml of toilet detergents to commit suicide. After one month, the patient went through dysphagia and was unable to eat. Esophageal endoscopy showed that the esophagus was narrowed in the upper third part, 20cm from the dental arch, which led to the inaccessibility of the conventional insertion tube that required nasoscope instead.

Clinical discussion: The results demonstrated many ulcer scars, retraction inside the esophagus and stomach, abnormally small volume of stomach, narrowing cardia, and pyloric stenosis. In both cases, thoracoscopic surgery was performed for esophago-gastrectomy, and the upper gastrointestinal tract was subsequently reconstructed using the ileum-right colon.

Conclusions: The ileum-right colon segment is a part that can be used to reconstruct the upper gastrointestinal tract following esophago-gastrectomy.

Keywords: Case report; Esophageal burns; Esophagectomy; Formation of the upper digestive tract; Gastrectomy; Stomach burns.