Abstract
Anastomotic leakage of the gastric conduit following surgical treatment of esophageal
cancer is a life-threatening complication. An important risk factor associated with
anastomotic leakage is calcification of the supplying arteries of the gastric conduit.
The patency of calcified splanchnic arteries cannot be assessed on routine computed
tomography (CT) scans for esophageal cancer and, as such, in selected patients with
known or assumed mesenteric artery disease, additional CT angiography of the abdominal
arteries with 1 mm slices is strongly encouraged. If the mesenteric perfusion is compromised
in patients with resectable esophageal cancer, angioplasty procedures with stenting
of the mesenteric arteries could be performed to prevent possible ischemia of the
gastric conduit.
Keywords
atherosclerosis - endovascular procedures/stents - except PCI - imaging (all modalities)
- perfusion - stents - esophagectomy - complications
