A novel technique for the treatment of radiation-induced acquired esophageal atresia in patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dysphagia is a common complaint for patients after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Chronic dysphagia ensues when the radiation-induced injury matures into a fibrotic stricture, with the severity of symptoms paralleling the degree of stenosis. Most patients experience progressive dysphagia that prompts medical attention before complete esophageal obliteration. Rarely, patients present late with inability to clear their secretions because of complete obstruction, also termed acquired atresia. These patients represent a challenge and require aggressive and unconventional interventions to reestablish lumenal patency. Using a case series, we hereby describe a novel yet simple technique to treat patients with acquired esophageal atresia. METHODS: Five patients with head and neck cancer in various stages who all underwent nonsurgical treatment with definitive chemotherapy and radiation along with enteral feeding tube placement prior to/during treatment presented with acquired esophageal atresia. All patients underwent an EGD to reestablish lumenal patency. This was accomplished with gentle pressure that was applied in a to-and-fro semi-circular rotational manner as if pushing a corkscrew and twisting it in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise manner. RESULTS: In all cases we were able to reestablish esophageal lumenal patency with a single procedure. There were no adverse events. Four of the 5 patients required additional dilations for symptomatic management. However, all patients’ esophageal lumens remained patent. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a novel yet simple technique to treat acquired esophageal atresia after radiation for head and neck cancer. This technique allows for generous dilation yielding complete resolution of the stenosis in a single session. When our approach is used, the patient can be discharged home the same day and resume immediate oral intake.