EVALUATION OF TRACHEAL MUCOSAL BLOOD-FLOW DURING AN EXTENDED RADICAL OPERATION FOR ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA - CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES

Using the hydrogen gas clearance method, a plate-type probe was attach ed to the surface of the cuff of an endotracheal tube in order to meas ure the ischemic changes in the tracheal mucosa produced by peritrache al lymph node dissection. In eight human subjects with intrathoracic e sophageal carcinoma, the tracheal mucosal blood flow was 40.1 ml/100 g per minute after they had undergone a right thoracotomy and then decr eased to 13.0 ml/100 g per minute after they had further received an e xtended radical operation preserving the right bronchial artery. No tr acheal ulcers were seen. The same ischemic changes in the tracheal muc osa were also measured in dogs. The right bronchial artery contributes about one-third of the total blood flow to the trachea and this was t hus calculated to be about 10-14 ml/100 g per minute.