RETRACTED ARTICLE: Changes in diagnosis and management of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy for underlying malignancy reduce postoperative mortality and improve patient outcome

Abstract

Anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy for underlying malignancy is a major cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis and management of anastomotic leakage has changed drastically over the past two decades. The aim of this study was to highlight the necessity of treatment algorithms to decrease postoperative mortality. All patients who underwent Ivor Lewis esophagectomy between 2010 and 2022 were included in this study. All patients who developed an anastomotic leakage were extracted and divided into two groups to analyze the differences in management between 2010–2015 and 2016–2022. Of 174 patients enrolled in this study, 33 patients developed an anastomotic leakage. Changes in management led to a significant decrease in re-do surgeries and a subsequent decrease in hospital mortality. Our data clearly show that optimizing patient management is a necessity, as it drastically improves patient survival.