[Abdomino-cervical esophagectomy].

Esophagectomy without thoracotomy is performed by an abdomino-cervical blunt dissection. A cancer-free margin after resection is only possible after total esophagectomy. The proximal stomach including the lymph nodes at the right and left paracardia and the whole of the lesser curvature are removed with the esophagus. The food canal is restored by splitting the stomach longitudinally and forming a stomach tube from the greater curvature. This stomach tube is pulled up to the neck through the now empty mediastinum and anastomosed. This movement is easy because the blood supply of the esophagus flows craniocaudally and not segmentally. This technique has a low mortality: in 20 cases only 3 patients died (15%).