Reconstructive Surgery for Extensive Stenosing Caustic Burns of the Hypopharynx, Larynx and Esophagus

Abstract

Caustic ingestion may cause severe necrosis of upper digestive tract. Combined pharyngeal and esophageal stricture is unusual, but when it occurs, reconstructive surgery neccessitates difficult techniques. There are special problems in these cases involving on the function of both deglutition and phonation.
A 45-year-old female with severe pharyngoesophageal involvement was treated by colon interposition with particular emphasis placed on the cervical anastomosis. From the point of natural process of deglutition, it is thought that the posterior pharyngeal wall may be a better position for anastomosis than the vallecula. However, in this case, we placed the vallecula for anastomosis and met with good results.
The scarring tissue between epiglottis and po s terior pharyngeal wall may serve to inhibit the aspiration in the this case.