Esophagogastroplasty and its radiological approach.

Sixty-six patients with tumor of the distal esophagus and/or the gastric fundus were admitted for intrathoracic esophagogastroplasty. Surgical mortality was 6% (4 of 66 cases). There were 3 early and 7 late complications among the 62 remaining patients. The authors suggest that radiological examinations of patients after esophagogastroplasty should include an early examination on the 7th-10th day after surgery with water-soluble contrast medium for detection of early complications and double-contrast studies before dismissal, at later check-ups and whenever clinical symptoms of late complications are developing.