What are the common complications of esophageal cancer after surgery?

Surgery is the first choice for esophageal cancer patients. In fact, the complications of esophageal cancer are also very important in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Let's ask experts to introduce the complications of esophageal cancer to us in detail.

Complications of esophageal cancer:

1. Functional gastric emptying disorder: Some patients with esophageal cancer also need to remove the stomach wall or even part of the stomach during resection. The esophagus and stomach are connected, which can affect each other functionally. After esophageal cancer resection, gastric motility disorders often occur, causing chest and stomach emptying disorders and resulting in a large amount of gastric content retention.

2. Respiratory infection after esophageal cancer surgery: Although esophageal cancer surgery does not remove lung tissue, it destroys the integrity of the chest, damages the intercostal muscles, and especially the integrity of the diaphragm, which seriously damages the ventilation pump of the affected lung, making it easy to develop respiratory infections. When pain occurs in the neck, chest or upper abdominal incision, or the stomach has been pulled into the chest to compress the lungs, the patient may experience varying degrees of difficulty breathing after surgery, with shallow and rapid breathing.

3. Severe diarrhea after esophageal cancer surgery: Surgery for esophageal cancer may cause gastrointestinal dysfunction and severe diarrhea. Analysis shows that the cause may be related to vagus nerve severance, gastrin concentration, etc. Treatment measures: actively give antidiarrheal drugs and give fluid replacement to prevent dehydration of patients.

4. Reflux esophagitis: Reflux esophagitis is a common complication after esophageal cancer surgery. The main manifestation is that acidic liquid or food refluxes from the gastroesophageal esophagus to the pharynx or mouth when the body bends forward after each meal or sleeps in bed at night, accompanied by symptoms such as burning or pain behind the sternum and difficulty swallowing.

5. Anastomotic leakage: This is a serious complication after esophageal cancer surgery, with an incidence rate of about 5%. Its cause is related to factors such as the anastomotic method, whether there is tension at the anastomotic site, whether there is secondary infection at the anastomotic site, and the patient's nutritional status before surgery.

The above are the complications of esophageal cancer. Through the introduction of experts, I believe you have a certain understanding of the complications of esophageal cancer. If you have any questions about the complications of esophageal cancer, please consult our online experts.

For more information, please visit the esophageal cancer disease special topic at http://www..com.cn/zhongliu/sda/ or consult an expert for free. The expert will then give a detailed answer based on the patient's specific situation.