Esophagocoloplasty in children: surgical technique, with emphasis on the double blood supply to the interposed colon, and results.

The description of certain surgical technical modifications of pediatric esophagocoloplasty and their impact on morbidity and mortality rates are presented. Seventy children, aged 12 to 120 months (mean, 52.3 +/- 39.5), were divided in two groups. Group 1 (40 patients), which represents a historical group, underwent esophagocoloplasty by the conventional technique. Group 2 (30 patients) had the following modifications to the operation: (1) preservation of the double blood supply to the interposed colon, based on the left colic vessels and left paracolic arcade, via the sigmoid vessels; (2) low cologastric anastomosis, performed at the lowest level of the anterior antrum; (3) in cases of retrosternal transposition (25 patients), fixation of the inferior border of the liver to the diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall; and (4) complete section of the left anterior muscles, behind the colon. Five patients in group 2 were supposed to undergo surgical correction of a congenital cardiac anomaly and had the colon transposed through the posterior mediastinum, on the original esophageal bed. The incidence of graft necrosis, gastrocolic reflux, esophagocolic anastomotic leak, and dysphagia are compared between the groups; the survival rates also were compared. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher-Yates' test, with significance set at .05. Groups 1 and 2 had the following complication rates, respectively: graft necrosis, 12.5% and 0% (P < .05); gastrocolic reflux, 20.0% and 0% (P < .05); dysphagia, 9.5% and 0% (P < .05); and esophagocolic anastomosis leak, 28.5% and 33.3% (not significant). The mortality rate was 17.5% for group 1 and 3.5% for group 2 (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)