OBJECTIVE: Analyses of morbidity, mortality and overall survival after transhiatal (TH) or transthoracic (TT) esophagectomy. METHODS: Retrospective non randomized study of 68 patients with esophagus neoplasia operated in the Brazilian National Cancer Institute between 1997 and 2005. We divided in two groups: Group 1 - TH (33 patients); and Group 2 - TT (35 patients). RESULTS: The mean age was 40,7 years old (25 - 74 years old), being 73,5% male. Middle third tumors predominated in Group 2 (48,6% vs. 21,2%, p = 0,02). The mean of dissected lymph nodes was biggest in Group 2 (21,6 vs. 17,8 lymph nodes, p = 0,04), however without difference in number of metastatic lymph nodes (4,1 vs. 3,9 linfonodos, p = 0,85). The mean of operative time was higher in Group 2 (410 vs. 270 minutes, p = 0,001). Also the mean of length of stay was higher in Group 2 (19 vs. 14 days, p = 0,001). The operative morbidity was 50%, without statistical difference between the groups (42,4% vs. 57,1%, p = 0,23). Esophageal leakage occurred in 13,2% of cases, also without statistical difference (9,1% vs. 17,1%, p = 0,23). The mortality was 5,8% (04 patients), without statistical difference (1,4% vs. 4,4%, p = 0,83). CONCLUSION: In our study, the morbidity and mortality showed no statistical difference in relation to the access performed, although higher operative time and length of stay were observed in TT access. The 3 and 5-years overall survival also were biggest in TT access, probably due to the biggest frequency of patients on initial stages between the submitted to the TT access.
Esophageal neoplasms; Esophagectomy; Morbidity; Mortality
