Although bedside ultrasonography can accurately distinguish esophageal from tracheal intubation, it is not used to establish the correct depth of endotracheal tube insertion. As indirect sonographic markers of endotracheal tube insertion depth have proven unreliable, a method for visual verification of correct tube depth would be ideal. We describe the use of saline to inflate the endotracheal ...

An infant with esophageal atresia (EA) had delayed diagnosis of proximal tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and severe tracheomalacia. We recommend bronchoscopy via laryngeal mask or rigid bronchoscopy to rule out associated TEF in infants diagnosed with esophageal atresia, as flexible bronchoscopy via endotracheal tube may not provide complete visualization of the trachea. We also describe a nove...

BACKGROUND Esophageal pressure (Pes) can provide information to guide mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory failure. However, both relative changes and absolute values of Pes can be affected by inappropriate filling of the esophageal balloon and by the elastance of the esophagus wall. We evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of a calibration procedure consisting in optimization of b...

EasyTube is an esophageal-tracheal double lumen airway device that combines the features of an endotracheal tube with a supraglottic airway device, enabling ventilation with either tracheal or esophageal insertion. EasyTube can be inserted blindly or by using a laryngoscope. Its main indication is for airway emergencies both in pre-and in-hospital areas. In this article we review the current kn...

Introduction: Although perforation of the esophagus, in the anterior cervical spine fixation, is well established, cases with delayed onset, especially cases that present pseudodiverticulum, are not common. In addition, management of the perforation in this situation is debated.  Case Report:   Delayed esophageal pseudodiverticulum was managed in two patients with a history of anterior spine fi...

A 51-year-old man with a 5 days history of mild dysphagia was referred to our hospital. Computed tomography of the chest and abdomen showed a bulge tumor of the lower third esophageal wall and a malignant lesion in the antrum in the distal part of the stomach. The patient underwent a left anterolateral thoracotomy through the sixth intercostal space via a ventral midline incision, with a two-fi...

The successful completion of esophageal reconstruction after esophagectomy is a great challenge in esophageal surgery. The gastric reconstruction is widely employed in benign and malignant esophageal disease. Compared to other digestive organs, stomach has a good blood supply and gastric procedure requires a single reconstructive anastomosis. The gastric tube is a durable graft, retaining its s...

A case of collision carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma and Barrett's adenocarcinoma) in the residual cervical esophagus of a 68-year-old woman at 27 years after subtotal esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal carcinoma is reported. The patient initially noticed cervical dysphagia in 2002, but did not seek treatment. In April 2004, the patient was referred to our department by a local physician w...