Abstract: Objective To investigate the efficacy of resection and stapler anastomosis via left cervicothoracic approach for the treatment of distal esophageal cancer.
Methods The clinical data of 86 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who were admitted to the No.105 Hospital of PLA were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received preoperative radiochemotherapy followed by radical esophagectomy and esophagogastric end to side anastomosis via left cervicothoracic approach. All the patients were followed up via out patient examination till December 2011. The survival rate was calculated by Kaplan Meier method.
Results The surgery was successfully carried out on 82 patients, and the resection rate was 95.3%(82/86). According to AJCC staging, there were 20 patients in stage Ⅱa, 37 patients in stage Ⅱb, 25 patients in stage Ⅲ. Forty two patients were diagnosed with lymph node metastasis, and the metastatic rates of lymph nodes in the neck, chest and abdomen were 3.7%(3/82), 53.7%(44/82) and 22.0%(18/82), respectively. The complication rate was 13.4%(11/82), and 1 patient died postoperatively. The 1 , 3 , 5 year survival rates were 88%, 83% and 57% for patients in stage Ⅱa, 82%, 68% and 43% for patients in stage Ⅱb, 56%, 25% and 16% for patients in stage Ⅲ. 〖HQ〗
Conclusions Resection and stapler anastomosis via left cervicothoracic aproach for the treatment of distal esophageal cancer has the advantages of low complication rate, high resection rate and excellent curative effect.