Nasogastric tube drainage and pyloric intervention after oesophageal resection: UK practice variation and effect on outcomes

Prevention of esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection of squamous cell carcinoma using a 20-French nasogastric tube combined with oral steroid administration

BACKGROUND

Esophageal stricture is a major complication after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and when the mucosal defect exceeds 3/4 of the circumference. Various preventive methods have been reported to prevent stenosis. However, in the case of circumferential ESD, there is no way to prevent luminal stenosis effectively. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 20-French nasogastric tubes (NGT) combined with oral steroids for the prevention of esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection.

METHODS

Between January 2012 and December 2021, we enrolled 57 patients with post-ESD mucosal defects exceeding 3/4 of the esophageal circumference. Of them, the initial seven patients received oral steroid therapy and the subsequent 50 patients received 20-French NGT placements combined with oral steroid therapy. We retrospectively evaluated the rates of strictures and refractory strictures and explored risk factors for strictures with 20-French NGT.

RESULTS

The overall esophageal stricture rate was 42.1% (24/57). In the noncircumferential group, the esophageal stricture rate in patients with only oral steroid to prevent esophageal stricture was 85.7% (6/7), while the esophageal stricture rate was only 4.3% (1/23) in those with 20-French NGT placements and oral steroid. All 27 patients with whole-circumferential resection received 20-French NGT placements. The stricture rate was 63.0% (17/27), and the refractory stricture rate was 17.6% (3/27).

CONCLUSION

Using a 20-French NGT placement combined with oral steroid administration is an easy and safe alternative to prevent esophageal stricture after ESD, especially for patients with noncircumferential mucosal defects. Further studies are needed to develop an effective stricture prevention method for post-ESD whole-circumferential mucosal defects of the esophagus.

Are intra-operative gastric drainage procedures necessary in esophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Surgical pyloroplasty or pyloromyotomy are often performed during esophagectomy with a view of improving gastric conduit drainage. However, the clinical importance of this is not clear, and some centers opt to omit this step. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the rates of pulmonary complications, anastomotic leak, mortality, delayed gastric emptying, and the need for further pyloric intervention, in patients undergoing esophagectomy with and without a drainage procedure.

METHODS

A database search of Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library was performed to identify randomized control trials and cohort studies published between 2000 and 2020 which compared outcomes of esophagectomy with and without drainage procedures. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to compare the rates of pulmonary complications, anastomotic leak, mortality, delayed gastric emptying, and the need for further pyloric intervention.

RESULTS

Three randomized and 12 non-randomized publications were identified, comprising a total of 2339 patients. No significant differences were found between the two groups with regard to pulmonary complications (RR 1.02 [95% CI, 0.78-1.33], p = 0.91), anastomotic leak (RR 1.14 [95% CI, 0.80-1.62], p = 0.48), mortality (RR 0.53 [95% CI, 0.23-1.26], p = 0.15), delayed gastric emptying (RR 0.98 [95% CI, 0.59-1.62], p = 0.93), and the need for further pyloric intervention (RR 1.99 [95% CI, 0.56-7.08], p = 0.29).

CONCLUSION

Where post-operative pyloric treatment is available on demand, surgical pyloric drainage procedures may not have any significant clinical impact on patient outcomes for patients undergoing esophagectomy, though further good-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this.