Free jejunum transfers in oncologic reconstruction

Methods of pharyngoesophageal reconstruction include gastric pull-up, colon or jejunal interposition, and transfer of a free anterolateral thigh flap. The most popular method at our institution is transfer of a free jejunal graft. The free jejunum transfer was first described in 1957 by Seidenberg. The advantage of this procedure is a decreased risk of fistula, because the pharyngoesophagus is physiologically reconstructed with bowel-type reconstruction material. There are few reports about the operative methods of free jejunum transfer in detail and the operative methods vary greatly by institution. We performed free jejunum transfers for several hundred patients in the past and reported the characteristics and intraoperative and postoperative matters that require attention. Here, we summarize free jejunum transfer in oncologic reconstruction with relation to the points of safety, recipient vessels and microsurgical anastomosis, intestinal anastomosis and postoperative complications based on our experience and published reports.