Vacuum assisted closure system in the management of cervical anastomotic leakage after gastric pull-up.

We propose the use of the vacuum assisted closure (VAC) system for the management of cervical anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy and reconstruction by gastric pull-up. The VAC system converts the open cervical wound into a controlled closed wound with major advantages: No need of a nasogastric tube for decompression, no need of a nasoenteric tube for feeding because of the possibility to maintain a semisolid oral diet and no need of frequent daily changes of dressings.