title: German experience with colon interposition grafting as an esophageal substitute.
abstract: Preliminary results of a questionnaire survey showed that gastric transposition is the technique of choice in Germany to restore alimentary continuity after esophageal resection. Experience with colon interposition grafting is low. Only 13% of all centers perform this technique. Despite this limited experience, there appears to be no difference in the complication rate between gastric pull-through procedures and colon interpositions. A modification of established colon interposition techniques is possible when the right colon is used if it is prepared in such a way that the left colonic artery is the blood supplying vessel. This modified technique may be simpler to perform than previous procedures for creating a colon interposition graft and may also facilitate esophageal replacement using colon interposition grafting.
authors.affiliation: Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Grosshadern, LMU Munich, Germany. hfuerst@gch.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Hüttl
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Löhe
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Schildberg
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D003106:Colon / Q000098:blood supply / Q000637:transplantation*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous