Esophageal bypass using a gastric tube for a malignant tracheoesophageal/bronchoesophageal fistula: a report of 4 cases.

Tracheoesophageal/bronchoesophageal fistulas are often caused by locally advanced esophageal cancer and lung cancer, and result in life-threatening conditions such as severe cough and dyspnea due to pneumonia. We herein report the clinical characteristics of 4 patients with tracheoesophageal/bronchoesophageal fistulas. All patients were men, and ranged in age from 40-69 years. Three patients had esophageal cancer and 1 had lung cancer. All 4 underwent esophageal bypass using a gastric tube with tube drainage of the distal side of the esophagus. Three patients died at 3, 4, and 5 months after surgery. However, these patients were allowed to enjoy food orally up until the last few days of life. One patient who underwent esophageal bypass and chemoradiotherapy has remained well for 5 years without any evidence of recurrence. This bypass procedure is therefore considered to be a feasible treatment choice for patients with tracheoesophageal/bronchoesophageal fistulas.