TRANSCUTANEOUS CERVICAL MINIESOPHAGOSTOMY

Nasogastric tubes have been shown to cause damage to the pharyngolaryn geal complex, producing laryngeal inflammation, granulation, muscle da mage, and even vocal cord immobility. The coexistence of nasogastric a nd tracheotomy tubes after conservation laryngeal surgery is especiall y harmful, The friction between these two semirigid structures may res ult in damage to the remaining part of the larynx, This may result in a significant delay in healing, oral feeding, and decannulation. Percu taneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a possible solution, This procedure requires time, special expertise, and cooperation between services. We present our experience with 17 transcutaneous cervical miniesophagost omies using a small-caliber feeding tube, which were performed during conservation laryngeal and/or pharyngeal surgery. The rate of minor co mplications was 11.7%, or 0.40 complications per 100 tube days, and no major complications were related to the procedure, Transcutaneous cer vical miniesophagostomy is a simple and quick procedure that may be pe rformed during the primary cancer surgery. It is done by the head and neck surgeon and does not require special expertise, It takes about 5 minutes to perform and, if done correctly with tunneling under skin fl aps, is associated with minimal or no postoperative morbidity.