The core technology of salvage resection of cervical esophageal cancer: from total laryngo-pharyngeal resection to mediastinal tracheostomy / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

The current primary treatment of cervical esophageal cancer is still the definitive chemoradiotherapy. Salvage esophagectomy is recommended for patients who have failed the therapy. Cervical esophageal cancer is closely adjacent to the surrounding important organs, and the boundaries of regional tissues become more blurred after radiotherapy, which pose a great challenge to surgical treatment. Successful completion of this operation requires a comprehensive grasp of various surgical techniques such as total larynx, pharynx, esophagus, partial tracheal resection and respective reconstruction. The author introduces several core issues of this operation, such as tumor resection, digestive tract reconstruction, airway reconstruction, and lymph node dissection, in order to provide references for domestic colleagues, improve the success rate of surgery, and reduce the occurrence of fatal complications.