Blunt esophageal resection for esophagocardial cancer: blunt dissection and retrosternal esophagojejunostomy using the EEA stapler.

A transabdominal resection for esophagocardial cancer and cervical esophagojejunal anastomosis was devised by our group. Since 1973, seventy-six such operations have been done and the long-term follow up study showed a good survival rate. These findings justify our efforts to perform the operative procedure without opening the chest. To obviate cervical esophagocutaneostomy which is indispensable to this method and may contribute to complications, we altered the operative procedure to blunt dissection of the esophagus and retrosternal esophagojejunostomy, using the EEA stapler. Details of the operative procedures used for nine patients are reported herein.