Primary complications after surgery for cancer in the cardio-oesophageal region.

Results are presented from a study of 230 patients who during the past 20 years underwent radical surgery for cancer in the cardio-oesophageal region. Major postoperative complications arose in 94 patients and were lethal in more than half of them. Most of the complications, and the causes of death, were of pulmonary-pleural nature or peritonitis of varying genesis. Peritonitis occurred in half of the lethal cases and was mostly due to insufficiency of the anastomosis. The death rate and the incidence of primary complications were unrelated to the extent of the operation (total gastrectomy or upper partial gastrectomy). Oesophago-intestinal and oesophago-gastric anastomoses showed approximately equal frequency of insufficiency, but peritonitis was more common after total gastrectomy than after proximal resection of the stomach.