Abstract
We encountered three cases of postoperative cerebrovascular complications out of 64 patients who underwent a radical esophagectomy between April 1996 and December 1997. The complications after esophagectomy included cerebral infarction in two patients (a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old man) and transient ischemic attack in the remaining patient (a 74-year-old man). Anticoagulant therapy was effective in all three patients. Generally, the patients after radical esopiagectomy are at high risk causing cerebral ischemia, because they are kept slightly dehydrated to protect the respiratory function. Thereafter, since January 1998, patients over 75 years old or with a history of cerebral ischemia have been placed on anticoagulant therapy after radical esophagectomy, and no cerebrovascular complications have been found in the 40 patients, including five patients over 75. We conclude that anticoagulant therapy is essential to prevent cerebrovascular complications after radical esophagectomy in elderly patients or those with a previous history of cerebral ischemia.
