Staple Line Dehiscence in Gastric Conduit Following Esophagectomy: A Complication Conspicuously Missing a Mention It Deserves

Abstract

Following esophagectomy, anatomical reconstruction with a gastric tube is the most common practice. The construction of the gastric tube is done with staplers nowadays, be it a minimally invasive esophagectomy or a conventional open surgery. Even though anastomotic leak and conduit necrosis are reported widely in the literature, the number of studies on staple line dehiscence is meager in comparison. Management of conduit failure usually sacrifices conduit combined with a diverting cervical esophagostomy. We report a case of successful surgical management of a big staple line dehiscence and 'salvaging of the conduit'.