• Feng-Wei Kong, Wei-Min Wang, Lei Liu, Wen-Bin Wu, Long-Bo Gong, and Miao Zhang.
• Department of General Surgery, Xuzhou Infectious Disease Hospital, Xuzhou.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Oct 2; 99 (40): e22479.

RationaleLate-onset anastomotic leak (AL) is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication after esophagectomy.Patient ConcernsA 74-year-old male patient was readmitted due to chest distress and chills about 3 months after initial esophagectomy for cancer.DiagnosesThe previous endoscopic biopsy revealed primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and sweet esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction was therefore performed. The patient developed AL 3 months after the surgery.InterventionsNaso-leakage extraluminal drainage tube was utilized because the symptoms of the patient were aggravated 1 month after the chest tube drainage since his second admission for AL.OutcomesTwenty-one days after naso-leakage extraluminal drainage, the computed tomography images showed the healing of the leakage. Then the patient was discharged from the hospital.LessonsLate-onset AL should be kept in mind when the patient complained of chest distress and fever during the follow up after esophagectomy. In addition, naso-leakage extraluminal drainage could be considered for the treatment of AL. Further trials for better evidence are warranted.

23 keywords...

hide…