Impact of splenectomy on the early outcome after oesophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.
OBJECTIVE
Operative procedures for oesophageal malignancies are becoming more extensive and may result in fatal complications. Splenectomy compromises the immune system and can lead to increased susceptibility to infections. The aim of the present study was to report the early outcome of patients who underwent oesophagectomy and simultaneous splenectomy due to oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).


METHODS
Pre-operative risks and post-operative morbidity and mortality in 135 patients who had undergone extensive oesophagectomy without simultaneous splenectomy for SCC of the thoracic oesophagus were compared with those of 14 patients who had undergone oesophagectomy associated with splenectomy.


RESULTS
Post-operative pneumonia, intra-abdominal abscess, post-operative sepsis and anastonotic leakage were significantly increased when splenectomy was added to the original operation. The incidence of in-hospital death was significantly higher among splenectomized than non-splenectomized patients (35.7% vs 8.1%, P<0.01). Pulmonary complications and leakage were the main causes of death. Multivariate analysis recognized splenectomy as an independent prognostic factor for in-hospital death following transthoracic oesophagectomy for SCC.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of splenectomy to transthoracic oesophagectomy for oesophageal carcinoma can be a fatal combination. Preservation of the spleen should be the primary intention. In circumstances that necessitate splenectomy precautions should be taken to prevent post-operative infectious complications.
Kyriazanos
I D
ID
Second Department of Surgery, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, 693 8501, Japan. yannis@shimane-med.ac.ip
Tachibana
M
M
Yoshimura
H
H
Kinugasa
S
S
Dhar
D K
DK
Nagasue
N
N
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome