[Experience in esophagogastroplasty in surgical and combined treatment of patients with cancer of the thoracic esophagus].

The results of surgical and combined treatment of 79 patients with cancer of the thoracic esophagus are discussed. All underwent resection of the esophagus. One-stage esophagogastroplasty was carried out in 44 patients, in 35 patients resection of the esophagus was the first stage of treatment, esophagogastroplasty was undertaken 6-8 weeks later. The authors describe their techniques of separating the upper part of the esophagus, forming the gastric tube and inserting it through the posterior mediastinum. Postoperative mortality was 15.9% in one-stage and 22.8% in postponed esophagogastroplasty. Completeness of treatment in both groups in relation to the total number of patients subjected to resection of the esophagus was 86.5 and 48.1%, respectively. Preoperative radiotherapy influenced neither the incidence of complications nor the mortality.