Esophagectomy With or Without Prior Ischemic Gastric Preconditioning

Overview

This multi-center, randomized prospective clinical trial involves esophageal cancer patients who are surgical candidates. Patients will be randomized either to the one stage or the two stage esophagectomy procedure. Surgical, oncology outcomes, quality of life and cost analysis from both types of procedure will be reviewed and compared.

Esophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction is the current preferred operation for either benign or malignant esophageal disease requiring resection. One of the major complications of an esophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction is esophagus-stomach connection (gastric conduit) failure, which carries significant morbidity and mortality. Many factors contribute to the development of gastric conduit failure, but relative decreased blood flow (ischemia) of the tip of the gastric conduit is believed to be one major factor. This is due to the sacrifice of 3 of the 5 gastric blood supplies leaving the tip of the conduit to rely on collateral vessels. In an effort to improve perfusion to the gastric conduit and to minimize ischemia, the relatively novel approach of ischemic gastric preconditioning was devised, but without concrete evidence to show an advantage of a reduction in gastric conduit failures. Patients meeting eligibility criteria and agree to participation in the study will be randomized to either a esophagectomy with (two-stage) or without (one-stage) ischemic gastric preconditioning and the incidence of gastric conduit failure will be compared. Those randomized to a two-stage procedure will have laparoscopic staging and ischemic gastric conditioning and pyloric Botox injection done 7-10 days prior to an esophagectomy and those randomized to a one-stage procedure will only have the esophagectomy performed. Validated quality of life (QOL) questionnaires will be completed at the preoperative visit as well as on the day of discharge and at postoperative follow-up timepoints: 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months. Data collection will be mostly collected through electronic medical record review and will include, but is not limited to: demographic data; imaging and laboratory values; past medical, surgical and social history; inpatient and intraoperative data; and vitals signs. Patients will be assessed for adverse events throughout study participation.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes