2006 Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 263-266
Carcinomas of the cervicothoracic esophagus frequently invade the trachea and complete removal of the tumor often requires mediastinal tracheostomy. Traditionally, this surgical management was associated with high morbidity and mortality. Several types of myocutaneous flaps have been used for mediastinal tracheostomy to reduce complications. We present our surgical management for carcinomas of the cervicothoracic esophagus and our experience on a technique for construction of mediastinal tracheostomy following total laryngo-esophagectomy.
POINT OF TECHNIQUE: The anterior chest wall was amply resected and the distal end of the trachea was placed low between the superior vena cava and aortic arch. We mobilized the entire omentum with the stomach and brought it up to the neck through the posterior mediastinum. The omentum was put around the trachea, main arteries and the anastomosis.
CONCLUSIONS: We suggest the use of the omentum as a simple and reliable technique in constructing mediastinal tracheostomy following total laryngo-esophagectomy for cervicothoracic esophageal cancer.
