A Manometric Study of the Swallowing Function in the Pharyngoesophageal Segment in Cases of Esophageal Reconstruction

Abstract

Manometric studies were carried out on six normal subjects and 23 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma who underwent esophageal reconstruction. The reconstruction routes were as follows: intrathoracic route (6 patients), retrosternal route (9 patients) and antethoracic route (8 patients). There was no difference between the control subjects and the intrathoracic route patients in terms of resting pressure and swallowing pressure. In the retrosternal route and antethoracic route patients, the resting pressure was lower in the upper high pressure zone and higher in the cervical esophagus than that of the controls. In these patients the swallowing pressure curve was also quite different from that of the controls. As far as manometric studies are concerned, the intrathoracic route is thus the best way of reconstructing the esophagus for thoracic esophageal carcinoma.