Esophagogastrectomy: data favoring end-to-side anastomosis.

Review of the literature since 1968 disclosed that the average mortality following esophagogastrectomy in 13 major institutions was 20%. Approximately half of the deaths were attributed to leaks from the esophagogastric anastomosis. Further analysis of the literature revealed that both the rate of anastomotic leakage and the rate of mortality were lower in end-to-side esophagogastric anastomoses as compared to the end-to-end type. Study of the author's personal consecutive series of 36 cases tends to confirm this finding.