Peptic ulcer of the gastric tube after esophagectomy for cancer: clinical implications

Gastric conduit perforation

As patients with carcinoma of the esophagus live longer, complications associated with the use of a gastric conduit are increasing. Ulcers form in the gastric conduit in 6.6% to 19.4% of patients. There are a few reports of perforation of a gastric conduit in the English literature. Almost all of these were associated with serious complications. We report a patient who developed a tension pneumothorax consequent to spontaneous perforation of an ulcer in the gastric conduit 7 years after the index surgery in a patient with carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. He responded well to conservative management. Complications related to a gastric conduit can be because of multiple factors. Periodic endoscopic surveillance of gastric conduits should be considered as these are at a higher risk of ulcer formation than a normal stomach. Long term treatment with proton pump inhibitors may decrease complications. There are no guidelines for the treatment of a perforated gastric conduit ulcer and the management should be individualized.

Emergency escape surgery for a gastro-bronchial fistula with respiratory failure that developed after esophagectomy

A gastro-bronchial fistula (GBF) is a rare complication after esophageal reconstruction using a gastric tube, but it can cause severe pneumonia, and the surgical procedure is challenging. We herein describe a patient who was successfully managed using a two-stage operation for a GBF. Because the patient had life-threatening pneumonia and respiratory failure caused by the GBF, we first transected the duodenum, established a cervical esophagostomy and gastrostomy and placed a decompression catheter in the gastric tube without a thoracotomy. The patient recovered from pneumonia after the resolution of the salivary inflow and digestive juice reflux into the lungs through the GBF. Two months later, an esophageal bypass was achieved by reconstructing the esophagus using a long segment of pedicled jejunum. The patient was discharged 38 days thereafter. Appropriate treatment for GBF should be tailored to individual patients based on their current status and disease severity.

Cerebral air embolism as a complication of peptic ulcer in the gastric tube: case report

Background

The reported incidence of ulcer formation in the gastric tube in esophageal replacement is rare.

Case Presentation

This is the first report of a case of cerebral air embolism as a result of spontaneous perforation of an ulcer in the constructed gastric tube into the pulmonary vein during post-operative follow-up in a patient with esophageal cancer.

Conclusions

Cerebral air embolism is a rare complication of penetrating gastric ulcer, but should be considered in patients with a history of esophagectomy with gastric conduit that present with acute neurologic findings.

[Rare complication following oesophagectomy: early peptic ulcer perforation of the tubal stomach]

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 45-year-old male patient who developed an acute peptic ulcer perforation of the tubal stomach on the second postoperative day after oesophagectomy. The patient underwent emergency surgery (perforation was closed with a Graham patch) followed by treatment in intensive care, and was finally discharged on the 19th postoperative day.

DISCUSSION

Gastric pull-up is a surgical technique that is widely used to re-establish the continuity of the gastrointestinal tract after oesophagectomy. Various early and late complications of reconstruction with the tubal stomach are well-known, such as gastric necrosis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, as well as benign and malignant tumors. The precise etiology of gastric tube ulceration is not known yet, however, it can develop not only in the late, but also in the early postoperative period, as well.

Gastric tube perforation after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

We searched for cases of perforation of the gastric tube after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer by reviewing the literature. Only 13 cases were found in the English literature, and serious complications were seen in all cases, especially in cases of posterior mediastinal reconstruction. However, in the Japanese literature serious complications were also frequently seen in retrosternal reconstruction. Gastric tubes are at a higher risk of developing an ulcer than the normal stomach, including an ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori infection, insufficient blood supply, gastric stasis, and bile juice regurgitation. H. pylori eradication and acid-suppressive medications are important preventive therapies for ordinary gastric ulcers, but for gastric tube ulcers the effects of such treatments are still controversial. We tried to determine the most appropriate treatment to avoid serious complications in the gastric tubes, but we could not confirm an optimal route because each had advantages and disadvantages. However, at least in cases with severe atrophic gastritis due to H. pylori infection or a history of frequent peptic ulcer treatment, the antesternal route is clearly the best. Many cases of gastric tube ulcers involve no pain, and vagotomy may be one of the reasons for this absence of pain. Therefore, periodic endoscopic examination may be necessary to rule out the presence of an ulcer.

Late presentation of gastric tube ulcer perforation after oesophageal atresia repair

Ulcer formation in intrathoracic grafts after oesophageal replacement is considered an infrequent complication of the procedure. We present a rare case of a gastric tube ulcer with perforation, more than 30 years after gastric tube interposition for oesophageal atresia.