Gastric tube oesophagoplasty--a long-term assessment.

The first gastric tube oesophagoplasty at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children was performed in 1968. Over the next 15 years, until 1982, a total of 46 operations were performed. This represents the largest series of gastric tube oesophagoplasty in children yet reported in the literature. Two techniques have been in use and are compared. The main aim of the paper is to present the long-term results of gastric tube oesophagoplasty. In our 15 years' experience with the gastric tube for oesophageal replacement, we have found it to be a very satisfactory procedure, with a very low mortality and failure rate. The vascularity of the stomach gives rise to less anxiety than with colon. Early postoperative complications are readily identified and treated. There is a higher risk of serious chest complications in bringing the gastric tube through the chest with primary anastomosis in the neck. This also predisposes to diaphragmatic herniation and obstruction, complications not seen when the gastric tube is brought up substernally. The long-term results are very encouraging, with virtually all the children leading active and normal lives. The gastric tube functions satisfactorily with no evidence of the late complications often reported with colonic tubes. There is no significant difference in the long-term results of the two techniques of gastric tube oesophagoplasty used in this hospital.