Role of Endoscopic Vacuum Therapy as a Treatment for Anastomosis Leak after Esophageal Cancer Surgery

ABSTRACT

Esophageal anastomotic leak is the most common and serious complication followingesophagectomy. However, the standard treatment for anastomotic leaks remains unclear.Recently, endoscopic vacuum therapy has become an important non-surgical alternativetreatment method for patients with esophageal anastomotic leak. This treatment involvesthe endoscopic placement of a sponge connected to a nasogastric tube into the defectcavity or lumen. Subsequently, continuous negative pressure is delivered to the cavitythrough the tube. Several studies have reported a treatment success rate of 80% to 100%.In this study, we review the mechanism of action, the method of performing the procedure,its safety and efficacy, and prognostic factors for failure of endoscopic vacuum therapyin the management of patients with anastomotic leak, and on this basis attempted toconfirm the possibility of establishing a standardized treatment protocol using endoscopicvacuum therapy.