Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies

Study	Country	Study design	Period	Inclusion criteria	N	Incidence (%)
Alamdari et al. 201819	Iran	Clinical trial	2009–2014	Postesophagectomy	52	—
Alexiou et al. 199820	United Kingdom	Retrospective case series	1987–1997	Postesophagectomy	21	4
Boffa et al.200821	United States	Retrospective case series	2003–2006	Multiple etiologies	26	—
Bolger et al. 199122	Ireland	Retrospective case series	1977–1990	Postesophagectomy	11	2
Brinkmann et al. 201623	Germany	Retrospective case series	2005–2013	Postesophagectomy	17	1.9
Dugue et al. 199810	France	Retrospective case series	1980–1996	Postesophagectomy	23	2.7
Fujita and Daiko 201441	Japan	Retrospective case series	2001–2009	Postesophagectomy	20	3.8
Itkin et al. 201024	United States	Retrospective case series	1996–2009	Multiple etiologies	31	—
Kim et al. 201425	South Korea	Retrospective case series	1994–2010	Postesophagectomy	57	3.8
Kranzfelder et al. 201326	Germany	Retrospective case series	—	Postesophagectomy	39	2.1
Lagarde et al. 200527	The Netherlands	Retrospective case series	1995–2003	Postesophagectomy	20	3.7
Li et al. 201328	China	Clinical trial	1996–2011	Postesophagectomy	306	2.9
Merigliano et al. 200029	Italy	Retrospective case series	1980–1998	Postesophagectomy	19	1.1
Miao et al. 201530	China	Retrospective case series	2007–2012	Postesophagectomy	34	2.6
Milito et al. 202042	United Kingdom	Retrospective case series	1997–2017	Postesophagectomy	50	5
Nadolski and Itkin 201831	United States	Retrospective case series	2003–2016	Multiple etiologies	13	—
Ohkura et al. 201832	Japan	Retrospective case series	2011–2017	Postesophagectomy	19	5.1
Pamarthi et al. 201433	United States	Retrospective case series	2002–2011	Multiple etiologies	43	—
Paul et al. 200934	United States	Retrospective case series	1992–2008	Multiple etiologies	12	2.6
Rao et al. 200435	India	Retrospective case series	1982–2002	Postesophagectomy	14	2.5
Reisenauer et al. 201836	United States	Retrospective case series	2008–2015	Multiple etiologies	46	—
Schumacher et al. 200737	Germany	Retrospective case series	1988–2005	Postesophagectomy	10	2.4
Shah et al. 201238	United States	Retrospective case series	1997–2008	Postesophagectomy	34	3.8
Weijs et al. 201739	The Netherlands	Retrospective case series	2003–2014	Postesophagectomy	78	21
Yannes et al. 201740	United States	Retrospective case series	2011–2015	Multiple etiologies	21	—