Background and Objectives: Since 1993, we have performed preoperative embol
ization therapy (PET) in an attempt to augment the blood flow of the gastri
c tube and prevent anastomotic leakage after esophageal resection. The clin
ical effects and complications associated with PET are reported.
Methods: The femoral artery was punctured and the left gastric artery, righ
t gastric artery, and splenic artery underwent embolization, leaving the ri
ght gastroepiploic artery as the only patent feeding artery for the stomach
. PET was performed in 54 patients, and data concerning blood flow of the s
tomach before and after the construction of the gastric tube were available
in 51 patients. Of the 25 patients who were operated in the same period wi
thout undergoing PET, similar data were available in 20 patients.
Results: In the group of patients who underwent PET. the blood flow of the
gastric tube after its construction was 67% of the value measured at the up
per part of the stomach just after opening the abdominal cavity. For those
who were not pretreated by PET, it declined to 33%.
Conclusions: PET for esophageal cancer is a safe procedure that contributes
to the decrease in the frequency of anastomotic dehiscence after esophagea
l operation, owing to the augmented tissue blood flow of the upper portion
of the stomach following the construction of gastric tubes. (C) 1998 Wiley-
Liss, Inc.