[Reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract in the absence of the oesophagus, stomach and colon, with preservation of the larynx]. / Ricostruzione del tratto alimentare in assenza dell'esofago, dello stomaco e del colon, con conservazione della laringe.

ABSTRACT

The authors report a case of reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract in a young woman of 36 years of age who, after ingesting muriatic acid, and after a series of consecutive operations found herself without an oesophagus (from the hypopharynx) stomach and colon. She was fed with a jejunostomy and had a large pharyngostomy to prevent sialorrhoea. After one year, the patient manifested the need to resume eating by mouth. The problem was serious due both to the anastomosis above the level of the larynx and the very long period of rehabilitation. The technical problem included the need to avoid the thoracic cavity due to the previous empyema, and thus to bring a viable jejunal loop up to the neck in a subject already operated on four times. The solution was a Roux loop at the level of the 4th-5th jejunal arcade brought to the neck via a subcutaneous presternal route and anastomised in a supraglottic location at the level of the right pyriform sinus. The viability of the loop was guaranteed by an arterial shunt with a branch of the mesenteric artery by means of a segment of saphenous vein and a venous shunt over the right internal jugular vein to guarantee venous flow. The pharyngo-jejunal anastomosis was done with a 21 mm circular stapler with a rotary head after a partial parietal resection of the laryngeal cartilage and under the protection of a provisional tracheostomy. After 4 months' treatment, partly in intensive care and partly in a rehabilitation centre with logopaedic assistance, the tracheal cannula could be removed and the patient is now able to eat by mouth with normal phonation.