Pharyngolaryngo-esophagectomy with immediate gastric pull-up.
BACKGROUND
This paper documents our experience with patients who underwent laryngopharyngoesophagectomy with immediate gastric pull-up procedures.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with carcinoma of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus underwent total laryngopharyngo-esophagectomy with immediate gastric pull-up procedures over a period of nine years at the Asir Central Hospital in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia.


RESULTS
The most common complication was cervical fistula, which with its sequelae occurred in 40%. Postoperative function in terms of swallowing ability was good but rehabilitation of speech was poor. The overall hospital mortality was 7%, and the crude survival rate was 40%. The most common cause of long-term failure was the recurrence of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The success of this operative procedure depends on wide surgical excision of cancer along with rapid reconstruction of alimentary canal.
Al Ghamdi
S A
SA
Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.