Revisiting the gastric pull-up for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of mortality and morbidity

Reconstruction of cervical esophagus for hypopharyngeal or thyroid cancer with intractable leakage at the upper end of thoracic esophagus: A scoping review and the pedicled colon flap solution

INTRODUCTION

Patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancers or thyroid cancers often require pharyngoesophageal reconstruction after tumor ablation, but complications are frequent. Anastomotic leakage, particularly in patients receiving perioperative radiation therapy, poses a significant challenge. The aim of this study was to conduct a literature review on leakage management methods and present a novel approach: utilizing a pedicled colon flap to create a diverted conduit connected to the cervical neo-esophagus.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted in March 2024. Additionally, between 2004 and 2022, 17 patients underwent pedicled colon transposition to the newly reconstructed cervical neo-esophagus. Four had neoadjuvant radiation therapy for thyroid or hypopharyngeal cancer, and the pedicled colon transposition method was used to prevent anastomotic leakage after hypopharyngeal reconstruction. The other 13 suffered leakage at the junction of the cervical neo-esophagus and thoracic esophagus after reconstruction. The method involved closing the cephalic end of the thoracic esophagus and using the pedicled colon transposition to restore alimentary tract continuity.

RESULTS

The review identified 4 leakage prevention methods. In our clinical series, colon flap harvest averaged 4.5 h with no postoperative leakage observed. All patients resumed oral intake, but 65% experienced transient diarrhea that resolved within a month.

CONCLUSION

For patients who receive perioperative irradiation that complicates pharyngoesophageal reconstructions, a supercharged pedicled colon flap presents a feasible solution for managing anastomotic leakage.

Systematic review of free jejunal flap for secondary esophageal reconstruction

INTRODUCTION

Esophagus reconstruction could be complicated by leakage, stenosis or graft loss. Salvage surgery may be needed in case of failure of endoscopic treatment or large esophagus defect. Although free jejunal flap is admitted for salvage head and neck reconstruction, few reports assess the results of free jejunal interposition in salvage esophagus reconstruction. We undertook a systematic review whose primary aim is to investigate outcomes of secondary esophageal reconstruction with free jejunal flap in terms of mortality, complications and functional results.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We conducted a systematic review of the literature according to the PRISMA 2020 statements searching PubMed and Scopus databases for articles assessing free jejunal flap for secondary reconstruction after failed esophagus reconstruction. References of included studies were also screened. Studies quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal tools.

RESULTS

562 studies were yielded through databases search and 328 studies were yielded through citations search. 18 articles were included in the systematic review corresponding to a total of 62 patients from 3 to 76 years old. All studies were level of evidence IV case reports or case series. We found that overall mortality was 3.2%, anastomotic fistula rate was 21%, anastomotic stricture rate was 4.8% and graft loss rate was 9.7% with survival of all jejunal regrafts. Solid oral intake was achieved in 93.0% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Jejunal free flap is a pertinent option for secondary esophageal reconstruction but remains a challenging surgery with high risk of complications that requires multidisciplinary team in large volume/tertiary care hospitals.

The long lost denture: a rare case of an acquired, non-malignant tracheo-oesophageal fistula

BACKGROUND

Ingested dental prosthesis are susceptible to impaction in the gastrointestinal tract due to their sharp edges, size and contour. Delays in presentation arise from the lack of clear history of ingestion and misdiagnosis occurs due to the radiolucency of denture material on plain radiography. An acquired, non-malignant tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) may develop from a chronically impacted denture. Surgical management of a TOF secondary to denture is a challenging clinical problem that is rarely reported in the literature and no previous case reports have described the two-staged reconstruction approach that we present here.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of a male in his early 60s who presented to an acute general hospital with symptoms ongoing for over one year of dysphagia, recurrent chest infections and weight loss. Barium swallow and computed tomography identified an ingested dental prosthesis (denture) that had caused a TOF. He was transferred to our specialist thoracic surgery unit where an attempt to remove the foreign body endoscopically was abandoned due to firm impaction and risk of further injury. The subsequent multi-disciplinary management of this complex case required a two-staged reconstruction approach. The first procedure involved extracting the foreign body, repairing the underlying defects with tracheal resection and anastomosis, and creating an oesophageal diversion with cervical oesophagostomy. The second procedure achieved continuity of the gastrointestinal tract with gastric pull-up and pharyngo-gastric anastomosis. Following rehabilitation, the patient was discharged on oral intake alongside percutaneous jejunostomy feeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Early recognition and removal of impacted dental prosthesis is essential to prevent morbidity and mortality. Delayed diagnosis can lead to acquired TOF with associated consequences such as recurrent pulmonary infection, mediastinitis and nutritional deficit. Challenges we encountered, such as failed attempts at endoscopic retrieval and the difficult dissection of fibrotic tissue, were directly due to the delayed identification of the denture. We highlight the importance of holding a high index of clinical suspicion of foreign body ingestion in dental prosthesis wearers who present with recurrent chest infections and ongoing dysphagia. We also promote the need for a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach in the surgical management of complex cases.

A Comparison of Different Types of Esophageal Reconstructions: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: A total esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction is the mainstream procedure for esophageal cancer. Colon interposition and free jejunal flap for esophageal reconstruction are the alternative choices when the gastric tube is not available. However, to date, a solution for the high anastomosis leakage rates among these three types of conduits has not been reported. The aim of this network meta-analysis was to investigate the rate of anastomotic leakage (AL) among the three procedures to determine the best esophageal substitute or the future direction for improving the conventional gastric pull-up (GPU). Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. We included esophageal cancer patients receiving esophagectomy and excluded patients with other cancer. The random effect model was used in this network meta-analysis. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used for the quality assessment of studies in the network meta-analysis, and funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. The primary outcome is anastomosis leakage; the secondary outcomes are stricture formation, length of hospital stays, and mortality rate. Results: Nine studies involving 1613 patients were included in this network meta-analysis. The trend results indicated the following. Regarding anastomosis leakage, free jejunal flap was the better procedure; regarding stricture formation, colon interposition was the better procedure; regarding mortality rate, free jejunal flap was the better procedure; regarding length of hospital stay, gastric pull-up was the better treatment. Discussion: Overall, if technically accessible, free jejunal flap is a better choice than colon interposition when gastric conduit cannot be used, but further study should be conducted to compare groups with equal supercharged patients. In addition, jejunal flap (JF) cannot replace traditional gastric pull-up (GPU) due to technical complexities, more anastomotic sites, and longer operation times. However, the GPU method with the supercharged procedure would be a possible solution to lower postoperative AL. The limitation of this meta-analysis is that the number of articles included was low; we aim to update the result when new data are available. Funding: None. Registration: N/A.

A case report of primary gastroesophageal melanoma: Presentation, diagnosis, and surgical approach

Introduction & importance

Gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon site for primary melanoma and its annual incidence is reported 0.47 cases in million. Thus, limited information is available about its medical or surgical treatment, long-term complications of melanoma, and survival rates of each therapeutic method.

Case presentation

A 47-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department with massive rectorrhagia. with not notable medical history except recent episodes of dyspepsia, melena, malaise and weight loss. Melena and weight loss in a 47-year-old patient is considered as suspicious signs for malignancy and should be investigated. The patient was finally diagnosed with primary gastrointestinal melanoma (PGIM). He underwent trans-hiatal total esophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy with gastric pull-up and lymph node dissection. Immunotherapy with Interferon-α was chosen as adjuvant therapy for this patient. After 10 months, CT scan of abdomen with intravenous and oral contrast revealed multiple foci in liver and spleen consistent with metastasis without any evidence of recurrence at primary tumor excision site.

Clinical discussion

In this article, we presented a rare case of PGIM with later metastasis in liver and spleen. Gastric pull up was preferred to colon interposition for conduit reconstruction after esophagectomy in this case. However due to the rarity of this category of tumor more information must be gathered on the amount of margin to be resected and long-term outcome of different surgical approaches.

Conclusion

Based on the poor prognosis of PGIM, less invasive surgical procedure which provides the radical resection and adequate onco-surgical dissection should be considered.

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Primary gastrointestinal melanoma is very rare subtype of melanoma.

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Management of primary gastrointestinal melanoma is challenging due to the poor prognosis of this malignant tumor.

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Less invasive surgical procedure which provides the radical resection and adequate onco-surgical dissection should be considered.

Beware of gastric tube in esophagectomy after gastric radiotherapy: A case report

BACKGROUND

Gastric tube formation and pull-up is the most common technique of reconstruction following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. If previous treatment with radiotherapy for gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-lymphoma restricts suitability of the stomach for anastomosis to the esophagus is unknown.

CASE SUMMARY

A 57-year-old man underwent sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy for gastric MALT-lymphoma seven years prior to diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophagectomy without neoadjuvant treatment was recommended by the multidisciplinary tumor board due to early tumor stage [uT1 (sm2) uN+ cM0 according to TNM-classification of malignant tumors, 8^th edition] without lymph node involvement. Minimal invasive esophageal resection with esophagogastrostomy was performed. Due to gastric tube necrosis with anastomotic leakage on the twelfth postoperative day, diverting resection with construction of a cervical salivary fistula was necessary. Rapid recovery facilitated colonic interposition without any complications six months afterwards.

CONCLUSION

This case report may represent the start for further investigation to know if it is reasonable to refrain from esophagogastrostomy in patients with a long interval between gastric radiotherapy and surgery.

Long-Term Survival of Patients After Total Pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy With Gastric Pull-Up Reconstruction for Hypopharyngeal or Laryngeal Cancer Invading Cervical Esophagus

OBJECTIVES

Hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers are aggressive and usually diagnosed at advanced stage with esophagus invasion. Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction has been a common surgery for these cancers but long-term outcomes are still questionable. This study aimed to investigate short-term and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent this surgery.

METHODS

Patients with hypopharyngeal or laryngeal cancer invading cervical esophagus who underwent total pharyngolaryngoesphagectomy with gastric pull-up between 2012 and 2016 was included and followed up until 2021. Short-term outcomes were complications and long-term outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Fifty patients were included with a mean age of 60.3 years and 94% were male. Pyriform fossa was the most common primary site of tumor (50%), followed by posterior hypopharyngeal wall (18%) and postcricoid region (18%). Mean operating time, postoperative oral intake and hospital stay was 363.1 ± 43.6 minutes, 8.8 ± 3.6 days and 14.2 ± 3.0 days respectively. Complications occurred in 15 patients (30%) without any in-hospital death. During the follow-up period, 17 patients had recurrence and 35 patients died. Median (95% confidence interval [CI]) OS and DFS time were 30 (21-37) and 30 (19-36) months. Five-year OS and DFS probability (95% CI) were 22.6% (12.8-39.7) and 22.7% (12.9-39.8).

CONCLUSIONS

Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with gastric pull-up is feasible and safe. However, even with curative surgery and multimodal treatment, advanced pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer with cervical esophagus invasion still has poor survival outcome.

Analysis of Outcomes of Pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy and Reconstruction with Longitudinal Comparison in a Single Institution

Advanced hypopharyngeal tumours present complex clinical challenges, and where resection is attempted, there is a requirement for major reconstruction. Despite advances in surgical technique, outcomes remain poor for this patient group, and optimum treatment has yet to be established. We aimed to assess the treatment and outcomes of patients in our institution in the context of previous studies. All patients from 2008 to 2018 who underwent surgical management for hypopharyngeal tumours with pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy and flap-based reconstruction were included in the study. Demographic and outcome data were collected, and patient-reported outcomes were solicited from surviving patients using the EORTC QLQ H&N 43 questionnaire. Thirty patients were assessed, in which 12 had gastric pull-ups, 16 had free jejunum flaps, and 2 had free anterolateral thigh flaps. There was a 38% five-year survival rate. Overall, the rates of stricture (10.7%) and fistula (7.1%) were low. The majority of patients (53.6%) returned to a normal diet within three months with a soft or puree diet in 35.7% of patients. Some form of speech was possible in 92.9% of patients. The average questionnaire score for surviving patients was 87.3, with good outcomes related to eating and swallowing, but poorer outcomes for speech and communication. This study showed that outcomes for patients receiving complex reconstruction following hypopharyngeal tumour resection are improving over time. There is still scope for improvement of patient outcomes and refinement of optimum surgical management strategies.

Partition of Pectoralis Major Musculocutaneous Flap as a Salvage Procedure for Simultaneous Coverage of the Exposed Carotid Artery and Reconstruction of Cervical Esophagus

BACKGROUND

In advanced pharyngoesophageal cancer patients, a critical event is represented by the failure of primary reconstruction with exposure of the carotid artery and partial or total defect of the cervical esophagus. For these high-risk patients, a partitioned pectoralis major musculocutaneous (PMMC) flap can prevent carotid blowout and provide skin for simultaneous esophageal reconstruction.

METHODS

Twenty-six patients needing pharyngoesophageal reconstruction together with coverage of carotid artery exposure were included in this retrospective case series. The patients were treated with a partitioned PMMC flap, based on the branching pattern of the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery and the perforators of the pectoralis major muscle, to simultaneously reconstruct the defect and provide coverage for the carotid artery.

RESULTS

In 25 patients, the partitioned PMMC flap reconstructions resulted in complete wound healing without occurrence of carotid blowout syndrome or fistula formation. Minor complications as partial flap necrosis (7.7%) and strictures formation (7.7%) were recorded but did not compromise reconstruction. Twenty-two patients were able to adopt a semisolid diet, and 4 had recurrence of cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The partitioned PMMC flap reconstruction represents a useful salvage solution to simultaneously restore the continuity of the alimentary tract and provide reliable coverage for the exposed carotid artery.

Successful management of therapy-refractory pseudoachalasia after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy by bypassing colonic pull-up: A case report

BACKGROUND

Gastric pull-up after esophagectomy is still a demanding surgical procedure and associated with considerable morbidity such as anastomotic leaks, fistulas or stenoses. These complications are usually managed by endoscopy, but in extreme cases multidisciplinary management including reoperations may be necessary. Here, we report managing therapy-refractory pseudoachalasia after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy by bypassing colonic pull-up.

CASE SUMMARY

A 70-year-old male with dysphagia and regurgitation after esophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction was transferred to our tertiary hospital. Since endoscopic approaches including balloon dilatation and stenting failed, retrosternal colonic pull-up with Roux-en-Y reconstruction was performed with no subsequent adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Secondary colonic pull-up is a demanding but successful surgical procedure in patients suffering from therapy-refractory complaints after esophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction.

Managing esophagocutaneous fistula after secondary gastric pull-up: A case report

BACKGROUND

Gastric pull-up (GPU) procedures may be complicated by leaks, fistulas, or stenoses. These complications are usually managed by endoscopy, but in extreme cases multidisciplinary management including reoperation may be necessary. Here, we report a combined endoscopic and surgical approach to manage a failed secondary GPU procedure.

CASE SUMMARY

A 70-year-old male with treatment-refractory cervical esophagocutaneous fistula with stenotic remnant esophagus after secondary GPU was transferred to our tertiary hospital. Local and systemic infection originating from the infected fistula was resolved by endoscopy. Hence, elective esophageal reconstruction with free-jejunal interposition was performed with no subsequent adverse events.

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary approach involving interventional endoscopists and surgeons successfully managed severe complications arising from a cervical esophago-cutaneous fistula after GPU. Endoscopic treatment may have lowered the perioperative risk to promote primary wound healing after free-jejunal graft interposition.

Prospective cohort study of voice outcomes following secondary tracheoesophageal puncture in gastric pull-up reconstruction after total laryngopharyngoesophagectomy

Background

Gastric pull-up is a reconstructive option for circumferential defects after resection of advanced laryngopharyngeal malignancy. Voice loss is expected and vocal rehabilitation remains a challenge. Our study objectives were to investigate the feasibility of secondary tracheoesophageal puncture following gastric pull-up and to analyze voice outcomes.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study of patients with advanced laryngopharyngeal malignancies who underwent gastric pull-up and secondary tracheoesophageal puncture between 1988 and 2017 at a tertiary-care academic institution. Objective acoustic measures included fundamental frequency and vocal intensity. Perceptual analysis was performed using voice recordings (“Rainbow Passage”) randomly presented in a blinded fashion to four clinicians using the validated GRBAS scale. Speech intelligibility was assessed in a blinded fashion using a validated 7-point scale. Additionally, the Voice Handicap Index-10 was administered as a validated patient self-reporting tool.

Results

Ten patients (7 male, 3 female) were included, all of whom preferentially used tracheoesophageal puncture for communication. These patients had abnormal median fundamental frequency of 250 (interquartile range (IQR) 214–265) Hz and a limited median vocal intensity of 65.8 (IQR 64.1–68.3) dB. Perceptual analysis (GRBAS) revealed a median ‘moderate’ degree of impairment [grade 2 (IQR 2–3), roughness 2 (IQR 2–3), breathiness 3 (IQR 2–3), asthenia 2 (IQR 1–2), strain 2 (IQR 1–2)] as did median intelligibility scores [median 5 (IQR 4–7)]. Most patients self-reported an abnormal voice handicap-10 [median 26.5 (IQR 22.8–35.0)].

Conclusion

Secondary tracheoesophageal puncture is a safe and feasible option for voice rehabilitation after gastric pull-up. Although analyses demonstrated moderate subjective and objective impairment, tracheoesophageal puncture provided patients with a self-reported means of functional verbal communication and was their preferred method of communication.

Graphical abstract

Survival and function following pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy in Wales: a twelve-year case series

OBJECTIVE

Treatment of locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancer can cause significant morbidity and late toxicity. Pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy can achieve adequate surgical margins, but data on survival and functional outcome are limited, especially in Wales. This study aimed to describe mortality, morbidity and functional outcome following pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy in a Welsh population.

METHOD

This study was a retrospective case note review of pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy cases in Wales over 12 years.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients underwent pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy; all but one underwent gastric pull-up. Median survival and disease-free survival were 17 months (range, 2-53 months) and 14 months. Censored 3-month, 1-year and 3-year survival was 93, 71 and 50 per cent, respectively. Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grading of long-term dysphagia was 1 in 58 per cent, 2 in 33 per cent and 3 in 8 per cent, and 87.5 per cent achieved a 'moderate' or 'good' voice rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate favourable survival and reasonable functional outcome following pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy, suggesting pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy should be considered in all appropriate surgical candidates.

Clinical outcomes for 61 cases of hypopharyngeal cancer with synchronous esophageal cancer

The aim of this research was to provide data from a single-center study of the treatment of synchronous hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) and esophageal cancer (EC) with different treatment modalities. A total of 61 patients with synchronous HPC and EC were included in this study. Patients were treated with radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (28 cases), surgery (9 cases), palliative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (17 cases), or supportive care (7 cases). The median radiotherapy doses for EC and HPC in the radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy group were 64.5 Gy (range, 0-70) and 70 Gy (range, 60-75.2), respectively. Seven patients in the surgery group received pharyngoesophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction, and two received esophagectomy followed by radiotherapy at the hypopharynx. Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the outcome of active treatments, including surgery and radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy, was better than that of conservative care. In survival analysis, patients in the surgery group tended to have a better 3-year overall survival rate than those in the radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy group (55.6% vs 30.9%); however, this difference was not statistically different (P = 0.493). The two groups had similar 3-year progression-free survival rates (30.6% and 33.3%, P = 0.420). The current study suggested that radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy should be considered as an important treatment modality in addition to surgery for synchronous HPC and EC.

Postoperative Complication Assessments of Different Reconstruction Procedures after Total Pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy: Tubular Gastric Pull-Up versus Whole Gastric Pull-Up

Hypopharynx carcinoma tends to be diagnosed at advanced stage and usually has a poor prognosis because of the high incidence of submucosal spreading and lymphatic metastasis. Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy (PLE) is mostly used as a curative intervention for this deadly disease, and a commonly used reconstruction method after PLE is gastric pull-up, which could be further divided into tubular gastric pull-up and whole gastric pull-up procedures. Aiming to achieve a precise guidance on optimal reconstruction method after PLE, the present study evaluated the postoperative complications involving in different gastric pull-up procedures in patients with hypopharynx cancer. A total of 52 consecutive patients with hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent total PLE with gastric pull-up reconstruction in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between 1996 and 2014 were analyzed in this study. Of these patients, 28 underwent tubular gastric pull-up reconstruction procedure (Group A), whereas 24 underwent whole gastric pull-up reconstruction procedure (Group B). We compared the postoperative complications between these two groups retrospectively. Postoperative anastomotic fistulas occurred in three patients in Group A (3/28) versus eight patients in Group B (8/24), leading to an incidence rate of 10.71 and 33.33 per cent, respectively. The incidence of intrathoracic stomach syndrome was 21.43 per cent in Group A (6/28) versus 58.33 per cent in Group B (14/24), and the incidence of reflux was 35.71 per cent in Group A (10/28) versus 66.67 per cent in Group B (16/24). All of the above postoperative complications exhibited statistical differences between two groups ( P ≤ 0.05). This retrospective observation study suggests that compared with whole gastric pull-up, tubular gastric pull-up is a better reconstruction procedure of choice after PLE, evidenced by reduced incidences of postoperative anastomotic fistula, intrathoracic stomach syndrome, and reflux.

Salvage Treatment of Failed Free Jejunal Flap Transfer: Our Experiences and Literature Review

Background

Although there have been many reports on the success of free jejunal flap transfer for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction, reports on salvage procedures for failed transfers remain sparse. In this report, we retrospectively reviewed our salvage procedures for failed jejunal transfers and previous articles describing salvage treatment in failed jejunal flap cases.

Methods

This report includes 6 cases of failed jejunal flap transfer, leading to necessary salvage surgery. We reviewed all cases to examine salvage procedures and early postoperative complications such as fistula formation. We also assessed postoperative late complications and swallowing function during long-term follow-up. A review of the literature was performed via PubMed.

Results

Rejejunal transfer was performed successfully in 3 of 6 cases. Gastric pull-up reconstruction was adopted in 2 cases. In 1 case, an external stoma was created because of the patient's poor medical condition. All 3 cases of rejejunal transfer and 1 gastric pull-up case recovered to resuming a normal diet. However, 1 gastric pull-up case required supplemental feeding with a jejunostomy tube. We reviewed 6 articles describing salvage treatment in failed jejunal flap cases.

Conclusion

When free jejunal transfer fails, rejejunal transfer is optimal. However, in cases that lack suitable recipient vessels or have infection, a second jejunal transfer should not be considered. In such cases, gastric pull-up or colon interposition may be an alternative because they do not require vascular anastomosis. Pedicled pectoralis major flap is also an alternative, although the risk of salivary fistulas is very high.