• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1060-1065
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• 1994

For most surgeons, stomach and colon are the first choice for reconstruction of the esophagus, as well as for bypass. When the esophagogastric or esophagocolonic anastomosis is made in the neck, cervical anastomosis site leakage is the main complication. In our most recent four patients who underwent a transhiatal & posterior mediastinal esophagogastric or esophagocolonic anastomoses following esophageal resection, we performed the cervical anastomoses with a circular EEA stapler. No leaks have developed at the anastomosis site. In these four patients the cancer was tiny and was located on the upper or middle third of the thoracic esophagus. A total esophagectomy was performed by blunt resection without thoracotomy. Surgical staplers have been used previously for esophagogastric anastomosis through a right thoracotomy with a very low rate of leakage. When the esophagogastric or esophagocolonic anastomosis is performed in the neck, the prevalence of leakage does not increase the postoperative mortality, but it can increase significantly the duration of hospitalization and morbidity. The use of the circular stapler allowed us to perform four consecutive cervical esophagogastric & esophagocolonic anastomoses without any leakage and to shorten the operating time.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.734-737
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• 2000

Background: McKeown first described two autopsy cases of esophageal small cell carcinoma (SMC) in 1952; about 230 cases have since been reported in the literature. Small cell carcinoma has been reported to account for 0.4% to 7.6% of all esophageal malignancies. SMC of the esophagus as regarded as having a poor prognosis with frequent systemic dissemination. Choice of treatment remains controversial. Material and Method: From August 1987 to December 1998, a review of the records and histologic sections of 8 patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus seen in 11 years was undertaken. Result: Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus constituted 1.5% of all esophageal cancers. The median age was 61.5 years(range from 42 to 71 years). Seven patients were male, tumor was mainly located in the middle and lower thirds(6 cases) of the esophagus. Pure SMC is 5 cases, and mixed SMC is 3 cases. Operative procedure were as follow: transthoracic esophagectomy with thoracic or cervical reconstructon in 7 patients, transhiated esophagectomy with cervical reconstruction in one. The operative death was none. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 7 patients except one who had poor general condition. Recurrence was observed in 4 patients(mediastinal LN, abdominal LN, SCN, bone). The overall median survival was 15.9 months. Only one patient survived for more than 5 years. Conclusion: We considered that esophageal SMC should be regarded as a systemic disease, and multimodality treatment including chemotherapy should be used. Surgery may be offered in selected patients to manage local disease as part of a chemotherapy based treatment program.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.661-663
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• 1993

We have experienced 6 cases of esophageal perforation from September, 1988 to June, 1993, in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungang Univesity Hospital and obtained the following results. The number of male patients was 5, and female 1.The causes of esophageal perforations were spontaneous, post-emetic in 2 cases, spur of cervical spine in 1 case, foreign body in 1 case, surgical trauma in 1 case and blunt trauma in 1 case. Perforation developed in cervical esophagus in I case,and others in distal third of the esophagus. One case needed only conservative treatment, and others needed surgical intervention minor or major. There were 2 mortality cases, and 2 cases healed satisfactorily without complication, 2 cases had complications that needed reoperations.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 1973

This is a report on a total of four cases of esophageal perforation due to fish bone in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital. The perforated portions of esophagus were upper third of esophagus, that is, cervical esophalgus principally. The complications after esophageal perforation were acute mediastinitis with mediastinal emphysema in 2 cases, acute mediastinitis with both pyothorax in one case and cervical subcutaneous abscess alone in one case. Collar mediastinostomy was required to control disturbance of cardiopulmonary function as emergency procedure. Gastrostomy was of worthy for the various purposes, that` is, for feeding, absolute rest of the esophagus, and for prevention against continuous infection from esophageal leakage. After the gastrostomy. 3 cases were healed by spontaneous closure of esophageal perforation between one to four weeks. One case expired from severe septic shock due to acute diffuse mediastinitis and both pyothorax.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.316-318
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• 2013

Rupture of the esophagus after blunt trauma is a rare event. But any type of esophageal rupture has the high morbidity and mortality rate. In these situations, the sign and symptom of the esophageal rupture is subtle and nonspecific; therefore, the physicians are usually not suspicious. Delaying in diagnosis prevents proper treatment (surgical or non-surgical) before significant complications occurred. We report a case of a cervical esophageal perforation with primary repair and drainage after blunt trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.621-625
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• 2002

Though leiomyoma is the most common tumor of esophagus, it accounts for only 1% of all esophageal tumors. Most of the leiomyomas are intramural type originating from the muscularis propria and only l% of them is intraluminal pedunculated type originating from muscularis mucosae. Recently, a 30-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia. Radiologic examination showed that intraluminal tumor 5cm in diameter was found at the cervical esophagus. Endoscopic examination showed that the tumor was covered with normal mucosa. The patient underwent surgical excision through the left cervical approach. After full, longitudinal esophagotomy, the intraluminal pedunculated tumor was successfully enucleated. Esophageal leiomyoma was confirmed histopathologically. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was relieved from dysphagia.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2000

The reconstruction for the pharynx and cervical esophagus after wide resection in essential procedures and the several methods have the reported. Each method has advantages and disadvantages relatively. Five cases of free jejunal graft were analyzed retrospectively for the reconstruction of pharynx and cervical esophagus at Chungbuk National University Hospital from May 1996 through December 1998. Primary sites were one oropharyngeal cancer, three hypopharyngeal cancers and one subglottic cancer involved the cervical esophagus. Two grafts had necrosis. Postoperative minor complications were dysphagia, fistula, stricture of anastomosis site, and pneumonia in the order. There were not possible voice rehabilitation in three success cases.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.406-411
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• 2010

Objective : Esophageal/hypopharyngeal injury can be a disastrous complication of anterior cervical surgery. The amount of hypopharyngeal wall exposure within the surgical field has not been studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chance of hypopharyngeal wall exposure by measuring the amount of axial rotation of the thyroid cartilage (ARTC) and posterior projection of the hypopharynx (PPH). Methods : The study was prospectively designed using intraoperative ultrasonography. We measured the amount of ARTC in 27 cases. The amount of posterior projection of the hypopharynx (PPH) also was measured on pre-operative CT and compared at three different levels; the superior border of the thyroid cartilage (SBTC), cricoarytenoid joint and tip of inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage (TIHTC). The presence of air density was also checked on the same levels. Results : The angle of ARTC ranged from $-6.9^{\circ}$ to $29.7^{\circ}$, with no statistical difference between the upper and lower cervical group. The amount of PPH was increased caudally. Air densities were observed in 26 cases at the SBTC, but none at the TIHTC. Conclusion : Within the confines of the thyroid cartilage, surgeons are required to pay more attention to the status of hypopharynx/esophagus near the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. The hypopharynx/esophagus at the TIHTC is more likely to be exposed than at the upper and middle part of the thyroid cartilage, which may increase the risk of injury by pressure. Surgeons should be aware of the fact that the visceral component at C6-T1 surgeries also rotates as much as when the thyroid cartilage is engaged with a retractor. The esophagus at lower cervical levels warrants more careful retraction because it is not protected by the thyroid cartilage.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2003

Cancers of the cervical esophagus occur uncommonly, but treatment is remaining a challenging problem and surgery demands special knowledge of abdominal, thoracic, and neck surgery. The primary risk factor is chronic heartburn, leading to a sequence of esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, reflux esophagitis and etc. Among the various treatment modalities, Surgery is still a mainstay of treatment. The main aim of surgery is not only oncologically adequate resection but also preservation or restoration of physiologic functions, such as deglutition and phonation. Surgical treatment of cervical esophageal cancer is influenced by special problems arising from tumor factors, patient factors and surgeon factors. Complete clearance of loco-regional disease and prevention of postoperative complications are of particular importance for the improvement of long-term survival in patients with these cancers. So the cervical and thoracic extension of these tumors usually required an extensive lymphadenectomy with primary resection. Radical resection of the primary site almostly include sacrifice of the larynx, but the voice could be rehabilitated with various methods, such as tracheoesophageal prosthesis or tracheoesophageal shunts, etc. Restoration of the esophageal conduit can be performed using gastric or colon interposition, radial forearm free flap or jejunum free flap, etc. Recently, the advances of radiation therapy and chemotherapy will enable less extended resections with greater rates of laryngeal preservation. At initial presentation, up to 50％ to 70％ of patients will have advanced locoregional or distant disease with virtually no chance for cure. Patients with advanced but potentially resectable esophageal cancer are generally treated by surgery with some form of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both, with 5-year survivals in the 20％ to 30％ range. So the significant adverse factors affecting survival should be taken into account to select the candidates for surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 1978

H.S. Lee, M.D., H.S. Yu, M.D. Esophageal perforation occurred rarely but often lead to a high mortality and morbidity. In the past, the main cause of esophageal perforation in Korea were instrumental perforation in patient with lye stricture of the esophagus. We experienced 9 cases of other forms of esophageal perforation from 1972 through 1977 and obtained the following results. 1. These 9 patients ranged from 10 months to 40 years in age at the time of admission. Six were women. 2. Causes of perforation are instrumental perforation in 3, foreign body perforation in 3, spontaneous perforation in 3 and one pneumatic esophageal perforation. 3. Perforation developed in a variety of locations in the esophagus. Three occurred in cervical part, two in the upper thoracic part, two in the lower thoracic part. 4. The main clinical symptoms and signs were dyspnea, subcutaneous emphysema, chest pain and fever. 5. Thoracic rentgenogram disclosed subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema, widening of mediastinum and pleural effusion at the time of admission. 6. Complications of esophageal perforation were mediastinitis [7 cases], empyema [4 case], respiratory distress [4 cases] and sepsis [3 cases]. 7. In 3 deaths of the nine patients who sustained perforation of the esophagus, one was due to transfusion of infected blood and two of them were due to sepsis following empyema and mediastinitis. Early treatment [less than 24 hr] gave no hospital death, and good results obtained in the perforations of cervical and upper thoracic esophagus.