ANESTHESIA FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER-SURGERY

The anaesthetic management of oesophageal cancer surgery is made more complex by: (i) pre-operative risk factors, including old age, smoking, tumour obstruction of oesophagus causing chest complication, malnutrition and general wasting; (ii) intra-operative risk factors, including hypoxaemia due to shunting when the right lung is collapsed for adequate surgical exposure and cardiovascular instability due to mediastinal manipulation; and (iii) postoperative problems, including chest complications and adequate pain relief. The management of these problems is discussed.