What are the complications of esophageal surgery?
Possible problems after oesophageal cancer surgery include difficulty eating, or a leak where the surgeon joins the oesophagus to the stomach or the bowel. Other risks include infection, blood clots and bleeding. Many problems are minor but some can be life threatening. Treating them as soon as possible is important.
Can you speak without an esophagus?
After surgery to remove the whole of your voice box (total laryngectomy), you are no longer able to speak in the normal way. But there are different ways you can communicate and learn to speak again.
How many times can you have esophageal dilation?
Overall, one to three dilations are sufficient to relieve dysphagia in simple strictures. Only 25–35 % of patients require additional sessions, with a maximum of five dilations in more than 95 % of patients [4].
What is a Zenker’s diverticulum?
Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) results from posterior herniation of esophageal mucosa into Killian’s triangle, an area of least resistance situated above the cricopharyngeus (CP) muscle and below the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.
Can you live without an esophagus and stomach?
It may be surprising to learn a person can live without a stomach. But the body is able to bypass the stomach’s main function of storing and breaking down food to gradually pass to the intestines. Absent a stomach, food consumed in small quantities can move directly from the esophagus to the small intestine.
What happens after esophagus is removed?
After it is removed, the esophagus is rebuilt from part of your stomach or part of your large intestine. Most of the time, esophagectomy is done to treat cancer of the esophagus or a severely damaged stomach.
What is life like after an esophagectomy?
Most people go back to work or their normal routine after 6 to 12 weeks. You will need more time to get better if you need other treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy. It will take 3 to 4 months to get back to your usual activities.