Massive hiatus hernia: Evaluation and surgical management

AbstractObjective: Paraesophageal hernias represent advanced degrees of sliding hiatus hernia with intrathoracic displacement of the intraesophageal junction. Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs in most cases, resulting in acquired short esophagus, which should influence the type of repair selected. Methods: Between 1960 and 1996, 94 patients with massive, incarcerated paraesophageal hiatus hernia were operated on at the Toronto General Hospital. The mean age was 64 years (39 to 85 years), with a female to male ratio of 1.8:1. Organoaxial volvulus was present in 50% of cases. Clinical presentation in these patients included postprandial pain in 56%, dysphagia in 48%, chronic iron deficiency anemia in 38%, and aspiration in 29%. Symptomatic reflux, either present or remote, was recorded in 83% of cases. All patients underwent endoscopy by the operating surgeon. In 91 of 94 patients, the esophagogastric junction was found to be above the diaphragmatic hiatus, denoting a sliding type of hiatus hernia. Gross, endoscopic peptic esophagitis was observed in 36% of patients: ulcerative esophagitis in 22% and peptic esophagitis with stricture in 14%. A complete preoperative esophageal motility study was obtained for 41 patients. The lower sphincter was hypotensive in 21 patients (51%), and the amplitude of peristalsis in the distal esophagus was diminished in 24 patients (59%). These abnormalities are both features of significant gastroesophageal reflux disease. In 13 recent, consecutive patients with paraesophageal hernia, the distance between the upper and lower esophageal sphincters was measured during manometry. The average distance was 15.4 ± 2.33 cm (11 to 20 cm), which is consistent with acquired short esophagus. The normal distance is 20.4 cm ± 1.9 (p < 0.0001). Results: All 94 patients were treated surgically: 97% had a transthoracic repair with fundoplication. A gastroplasty was added in 75 cases (80%) because of clearly defined or presumed short esophagus. There were two operative deaths, and two patients were never followed up. Among the 90 available patients, the mean follow-up was 94 months; median follow-up was 72 months. Seventy-two patients (80%) are free of symptoms (excellent result); 13 (13%) have inconsequential symptoms requiring no therapy (good result); and three patients (4%) are improved but have symptoms requiring medical therapy or interval dilatation (fair result). Two patients had poor results because of recurrent hernia and severe reflux. Both were successfully treated by reoperation with the addition of gastroplasty because of acquired shortening, which was not recognized at the first operation. Conclusions: Most of these 94 patients had symptoms or endoscopic, manometric, and operative findings that were consistent with a sliding hiatus hernia. There was a high incidence of endoscopic reflux esophagitis and of acquired short esophagus. True paraesophageal hernia, with the esophagogastric junction in a normal abdominal location, appears rare. Our observations were supported by measurements obtained at preoperative endoscopy and manometry, and by findings at the time of surgical repair. These observations support the choice of a transthoracic approach for repair in most patients. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;115:53-62

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the airway: Thirty-two-year experience

AbstractMethods: We have reviewed our experience in 38 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the upper airway seen between 1963 and 1995. The mean age was 44.8 years (15 to 80 years) with a male/female ratio of 1:1.1. Thirty-two of the 38 patients were treated by resection and reconstruction (primary anastomosis 28; Marlex mesh prosthesis 4). Twenty-six of the 32 patients undergoing resection received adjuvant radiotherapy. Six patients with unresectable tumors were treated primarily with radiotherapy only. Results: Pathologic examination revealed local invasion beyond the wall of the trachea in all patients. In a majority, microscopic extension was found in submucosal and perineural lymphatics, well beyond the grossly visible or palpable limits of the tumor. Lymphatic metastases were relatively uncommon, occurring in only five of 32 (19%) patients undergoing resection. Metachronous hematogenous metastases occurred in 17 of 38 patients (44%). Thirteen of these 38 patients (33%) had pulmonary metastases. Sixteen of 32 resections were complete and potentially curative. There were two deaths within 30 days of operation. The mean survival in the 14 patients undergoing complete resection was 9.8 years (12 months to 29 years). Sixteen of 32 resections were incomplete (residual tumor at the airway margin on final pathologic examination), with one operative death occurring in this group. The mean survival in the 15 surviving patients was 7.5 years (4 months to 21 years). Six patients were treated with primary radiation only and had a mean survival of 6.2 years (2 months to 14.3 years). In the patients with pulmonary metastases, mean survival was 37 months (4 months to 7 years) from the time of diagnosis of the pulmonary metastasis until their death. Conclusion: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the upper airway is a rare tumor, which is locally invasive and frequently amenable to resection. Although late local recurrence after resection is a feature of this tumor (up to 29 years), excellent long-term palliation is commonly achieved after both complete and incomplete resection. There was a small difference in survival between patients having complete and incomplete resection. Long periods of control can be obtained with radiotherapy alone. The best results, in this series of patients, were obtained by resection. Adjuvant radiotherapy is assumed to favorably influence survival. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1996;112:1522-32