END-TO-SIDE AND END-TO-END ANASTOMOSES GIVE SIMILAR RESULTS IN CERVICAL ESOPHAGOGASTROSTOMY

Objective: To find out if there were any differences in healing betwee n end-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses for oesophagogastrostomy. Des ign: Open study with historical controls. Setting: University hospital , The Netherlands. Subjects: 28 patients with end-to-end and 90 patien ts with end-to-side anastomoses after transhiatal oesophagectomy and p artial gastrectomy for cancer of the oesophagus or oesophagogastric ju nction, with gastric tube reconstruction and cervical anastomosis. Mai n outcome measures: Leak and stricture rates, and the number of dilata tions needed to relieve dysphagia. Results: There were no significant differences in leak rates (end-to-end 4/28, 14%, and end-to-side 13/90 , 14%) or anastomotic strictures (end-to-end 9/28, 32%, and end-to-sid e 26/90, 29%). The median number of dilatations needed to relieve dysp hagia was 7 (1-33) after end-to-end and 9 (1-113) after end-to-side oe sophagogastrostomy. Conclusion: There were no differences between the two methods of suture of cervical oesophagogastrostomy when leakage, s tricture, and number of dilatations were used as criteria of good heal ing.