Colonic esophagopharyngoplasty in combined chemical esophageal and pharyngeal strictures.

The treatment of patients with combined chemical strictures located in the upper gastrointestinal tract presents a difficult task. A complicated mechanism of swallowing-breathing can be broken by the development of a cicatricial process in the pharynx or laryngo-oropharynx. The surgical interference is aimed not only at construction of an artificial esophagus but restoration of the normal swallowing and adequate feeding of a patient. The article presents the experience of 47 colonic esophagopharyngoplasties. Preference is given to one-stage procedures. The graft in the majority of cases was constructed from the left colon. The mortality rate was 2.1%, and pharyngeal anastomotic leak occurred in 5 (10.6%) patients. Pharyngeal anastomotic cicatricial stricture developed in 4 (8.5%) patients and 2 of them required of reconstructive surgery. Long-term results have shown that the majority of patients are using the artificial esophagus. Only in 2 patients is swallowing still impaired and they continue to feed via a gastrostomy. The results obtained show that a one-stage colonic esophagopharyngoplasty is the method of choice in combined chemical pharyngoesophageal strictures. Nevertheless, such procedures should only be carried out in specialized divisions with experience in reconstructive esophageal surgery.