Free jejunal graft for hypopharyngeal and esophageal reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the techniques of the free jejunal graft for the reconstruction of hypopharynx or cervical esophagus and discussed the main aspects related to those procedures.


RESULTS
By using free jejunal grafts, we reconstructed 54 hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancers. In this study, 23 out of 54 patients had a malignant tumor located in the hypopharynx and 31 in the cervical esophagus (27 primary cases and four secondary cases). Despite the multi-step and time-consuming procedure, we did not incur any trans-operative complication. Furthermore, we undertook the larynx preserving cervical esophagectomy and free jejunal graft reconstruction in six patients with cervical esophageal cancer, and those patients acquired a good quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
For the reconstruction of hypopharynx or cervical esophagus, the free jejunal graft is a very useful technique and improves the patient's quality of life.
Shirakawa
Yasuhiro
Y
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Transplant, and Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikatacho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Naomoto
Yoshio
Y
Noma
Kazuhiro
K
Ono
Ryoko
R
Nobuhisa
Tetsuji
T
Kobayashi
Masahiko
M
Fujiwara
Toshiya
T
Noguchi
Hirofumi
H
Ohkawa
Takaomi
T
Yamatsuji
Tomoki
T
Haisa
Minoru
M
Matsuoka
Junji
J
Gunduz
Mehmet
M
Tanaka
Noriaki
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004724:Endoscopy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome