Table 2.
Patient characteristics of the study cohort, stratified according to completion of postoperative upper gastrointestinal contrast study
| N (%) | All patients | Postop upper GI contrast study | Incomplete upper GI contrast study* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 119 (100) | 112 (94.1) | 7 (5.9) |
| Virginia mason medical center | 42 (35.3) | 42 (37.5) | 0 (0) |
| Karolinska university hospital | 77 (64.7) | 70 (62.5) | 7 (100) |
| Median age (IQR) | 69 (61–74) | 69 (61–74) | 74 (64–77) |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 97 (81.5) | 90 (80.4) | 7 (100) |
| Female | 22 (18.5) | 22 (19.6) | 0 (0) |
| Indication for esophagectomy | |||
| Esophageal cancer | 117 (98.3) | 110 (98.2) | 7 (100) |
| Achalasia | 1 (0.8) | 1 (0.9) | 0 (0) |
| Perforation/ischemia | 1 (0.8) | 1 (0.9) | 0 (0) |
| Esophagectomy approach | |||
| Thoracoabdominal 2-stage (Ivor Lewis) | 66 (55.5) | 64 (57.1) | 2 (28.6) |
| Thoracoabdominal 3-stage (McKeown) | 38 (31.9) | 35 (31.3) | 3 (42.9) |
| Transhiatal esophagectomy | 13 (10.9) | 11 (9.8) | 2 (28.6) |
| Left thoracoabdominal | 2 (1.7) | 2 (1.8) | 0 (0) |
| Surgical technique | |||
| Open technique | 28 (23.5) | 27 (24.1) | 1 (14.3) |
| Minimally invasive technique | 91 (76.5) | 85 (75.9) | 6 (85.7) |
| Anastomosis level | |||
| Thoracic | 70 (58.8) | 68 (60.1) | 2 (28.6) |
| Cervical | 49 (41.2) | 44 (39.3) | 5 (71.4) |
| Intraoperative procedures | |||
| Gastric conduit | 119 (100) | – | – |
| Pyloric intervention (Botox) | 8 (6.7) | 8 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Timing of upper gastrointestinal contrast study | |||
| Median days from surgery (IQR) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (3–4) |
| Tumor details for patients with esophageal cancer (n = 117) | |||
| Histological tumor type | |||
| Adenocarcinoma | 104 (88.9) | 98 (89.1) | 6 (85.7) |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | 11 (9.4) | 10 (9.1) | 1 (14.3) |
| Neuroendocrine tumor | 2 (1.7) | 2 (1.8) | 0 (0) |
| Clinical tumor stage | |||
| HGD | 3 (2.6) | 3 (2.7) | 0 (0) |
| I | 8 (6.8) | 8 (7.3) | 0 (0) |
| II | 10 (8.6) | 8 (7.3) | 2 (28.6) |
| III | 76 (65.0) | 72 (65.5) | 4 (57.1) |
| IVa | 20 (17.1) | 19 (17.3) | 1 (14.3) |
| Preoperative therapy | |||
| Chemoradiotherapy | 45 (38.5) | 44 (40.0) | 1 (14.3) |
| Chemotherapy | 40 (34.2) | 36 (32.7) | 4 (57.1) |
| Surgery alone | 32 (27.4) | 30 (27.3) | 2 (28.6) |
*Reason for not completing the contrast study was aspiration in 5 patients and incorrect protocol in 2 patients