Eversion stripping of the esophagus with intraesophageal insufflation—A case report

INTRODUCTION: Patients with esophageal cancer frequently cannot tolerate thoracotomy due to their overall debilitated condition. Moreover, some patients have severe adhesions in the thoracic cavity. Eversion stripping of the esophagus is an option for resection in these patients. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 64-year-old man was admitted to our institution with the chief complaint of epigastric pain. Endoscopic examination showed a protruding lesion 22 cm from the incisors, with a superficial and circumferential mucosal irregularity on the distal side of the lesion. Biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. Clinical stage was T1b(sm)N0M0, cStage I. In addition to the poor pulmonary status of the patient, adhesions in the intrathoracic cavity were predicted. The decision was made to perform esophageal resection without a thoracotomy. In order to ensure complete invagination of the esophagus, the esophagus was insufflated prior to stripping. The stripping process was observed with a gastroscope. During the stripping, the esophagus did not bunch up, and stripping was smooth and with minimal resistance. DISCUSSION: The stripping resection of the esophagus is an important option for the esophageal surgeon. In this case report, we describe a new eversion stripping method of the esophagus. This easy and reliable stripping method incorporates intraesophageal insufflation. CONCLUSION: The indications for blunt esophageal dissection without thoracotomy have been decreasing. On the other hand, our method seems to be useful in optimal case of stripping of esophagus.