Experiences with the Polyethylene Tube in Esophageal Surgery

Introduction  In the presentation of our study on the polyethylene tube in esophageal surgery, certain prefatory remarks are essential to establish the genesis of the polyethylene tube as a considered mode of therapy for cancer of the thoracic esophagus.For the past decade and a half surgical extirpation followed by primary reestablishment of alimentary continuity has prevailed as the therapy of choice for carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus. During this period the progress of surgical techniques, advances of modern anesthesia, the practice of sound principles of thoracic surgery, the important adjuvants of blood replacement and antibiotics—all these have enhanced the applicability of this procedure. Nevertheless, it has remained an intervention of magnitude that has had to be offered to a group of patients who, because of age, associated diseases, and cachexia, were least able to react favorably to the severe operative stress that it imposed.To date the facts indicate