Gastric tube perforation after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

We searched for cases of perforation of the gastric tube after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer by reviewing the literature. Only 13 cases were found in the English literature, and serious complications were seen in all cases, especially in cases of posterior mediastinal reconstruction. However, in the Japanese literature serious complications were also frequently seen in retrosternal reconstruction. Gastric tubes are at a higher risk of developing an ulcer than the normal stomach, including an ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori infection, insufficient blood supply, gastric stasis, and bile juice regurgitation. H. pylori eradication and acid-suppressive medications are important preventive therapies for ordinary gastric ulcers, but for gastric tube ulcers the effects of such treatments are still controversial. We tried to determine the most appropriate treatment to avoid serious complications in the gastric tubes, but we could not confirm an optimal route because each had advantages and disadvantages. However, at least in cases with severe atrophic gastritis due to H. pylori infection or a history of frequent peptic ulcer treatment, the antesternal route is clearly the best. Many cases of gastric tube ulcers involve no pain, and vagotomy may be one of the reasons for this absence of pain. Therefore, periodic endoscopic examination may be necessary to rule out the presence of an ulcer.