Respiratory Complications after Transhiatal Esophagectomy

Esophageal resection is the standard treatment for resectable esophageal cancer and some of the benign esophageal lesions. The most important cause of mortality and morbidity after Esophageal resection is the development of pulmonary complications. This study was performed to determine respiratory complications after the ER and associated risk factors. In this descriptive–analytic prospective study all patients who underwent transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in AL-Zahra hospital in Isfahan from 2006 to 2007 to were entered to the study. All data were gathered through multiple variables questionnaire. During 12 months of follow–up after orringer procedure, respiratory complications including: pneumonia, pulmonary atalectasia, empyema or plural effusion, pulmonary emboli and chylothorax were determined. The frequency of risk factors in these patients was compared with those patients without any respiratory complications (P < 0.05). Pulmonary complications occurred in 18 (26.5%) of 61 patients. Serum albumin level less than 3.5 gr/dl, weight loss more than 20%, leak of the anastomosis, FEV1 < 2 lit and the time of mediastinal manipulation, were higher in the patients with pulmonary complications (P < 0.05). It seems the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, improvement in nutritional status (weight loss, serum albumin) and reducing the time of mediastinal manipulation are the main strategies which reduce the pulmonary complications after ER.