Gastric pedicle tube in reconstruction of gastrointestinal continuity after total laryngopharyngectomy

ABSTRACT

Gastric pedicle tube placed retrostrenally was performed to reconstruct gastro- intestinal continuity after laryngopharyngectomy in 11 patients [7 males and 4 females] aged from 50 to 67 years, with a mean age of 56 +/- 0.4 referred to hospital in the period from January 1999 to December 2000. These patients had extensive pyriform fossa tumors in five patients, posterior pharyngeal wall tumor in three patients and localized postcricoid tumor in three patients. A reconstruction of the gastro-intestinal tract was done in the same sitting after excision of the tumor by ENT surgeons. The postoperative complications were pneumothorax in two patients, cervical fistula in three patients, which closed spontaneously after 2-3 weeks and two patients suffered from stenosis of cervical anastomosis, but responding to intermittent dilatation. Two patients died from severe chest infection during the postoperative period. Temporary gastrotomy was done for all patients to be used for feeding during the postoperative period removed after complete healing of the anastomosis. Apart from two patients who died during the postoperative period, the remaining patients were discharged from the hospital in a fair general condition. They were subjected to regular follow up