A new approach to the thoracic esophagus by the abdominal transdiaphragmatic route.

A total of 113 patients affected by several esophageal and gastric alterations underwent operations through the cervicoabdominal transdiaphragmatic route, such as partial resections of the distal segment of the esophagus or subtotal esophagectomy. This method proved to have much fewer postoperative complications or deaths as well as more advantages, especially since most of the patients presented moderate to severe malnutrition and could not easily endure more aggressive procedures such as the thoracotomy with its obvious respiratory complications.