Comparison of circular stapling, triangulating stapling and T-shape stapling for cervical anastomosis with minimally invasive esophagectomy

BACKGROUND: The triangulating stapling (TST) and T-shape stapling (TS) methods have been proposed to decrease the incidence of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy, but few studies have compared them to the circular stapling technique (CS). This retrospective study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of three cervical anastomosis methods after esophagectomy. METHODS: Squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with CS, TST or TS anastomosis between April 2010 and June 2012 were recruited. Their clinical characteristics and short-term outcome were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analyses compared with log-rank test were used to calculate the effect of the three types of cervical anastomosis on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: The incidence of anastomotic leakage was 21.8% in the CS group, 7.7% in the TS group and 11.9% in the TST group (P=0.029). There were significant differences in the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux among the three groups (P<0.001). Rates of anastomotic stenosis, pulmonary infection, chylothorax and hoarseness were not different among the groups. There were significant differences in anastomotic time, operation time and hospitalization time (all P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in albumin content at 1 month after operation (P=0.226). There was no differences in long-term surgical effects of the three types of anastomosis CONCLUSIONS: Cervical esophagogastric anastomosis by TST or TS can be considered feasible and safe and with improved short-term outcome.