Stenosis of Esophago‐jejuno Anastomosis After Gastric Surgery

BACKGROUND: Stenosis of esophago-jejuno anastomosis is one of the postoperative complications of gastric surgery. This complication usually manifests with the symptom of dysphagia and is treated by endoscopic dilatation. No large-scale studies have been conducted to determine the incidence of this complication after surgery. METHODS: The data of a total of 1478 consecutive patients who underwent total, proximal, or completion gastrectomy, including esophago-jejuno anastomosis, between 2000 and 2008 were analyzed retrospectively with a view to determining the incidence of anastomotic stenosis. RESULTS: Sixty patients (4.1%) developed stenosis of the esophago-jejuno anastomosis which needed to be treated by endoscopic balloon dilatation. The average interval between the surgery and detection of stenosis was 67.4 days (median = 58.0). Multivariate analysis identified female gender, proximal gastrectomy, use of a narrow-sized stapler, and the choice of the stapling device as significant factors influencing the risk of development of anastomotic stenosis. CONCLUSION: Esophago-jejuno anastomotic stenosis appears to be a common late postoperative complication after gastric surgery. Endoscopic examination and treatment yielded favorable outcomes in patients complaining of dysphagia after gastric surgery.