Editorial forum

✍ Scribed by Harrison, D. F. N.

• Book ID: 102233411
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1982
• Weight: 54 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0148-6403
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.2890050203

✦ Synopsis

Your timely and succinct editorial in the MaylJune 1982 issue of Head & Neck Surgery draws attention to yet another attempt to effectively solve the problem of reconstruction after wide resection of pharyngoesophageal cancer, The resurgence of interest in revascularization techniques has inevitably led to a number of publications describing its usage in closing the pharyngoesophageal gap. Unhappily, authors such as Gluckman e t al. (Head Neck Surg 4:360-369, 1982) appear to be unaware of or have ignored the experiences of the past where it has been so clearly shown that the primary problem is effective clearance. Many methods can be utilized for closure, but if disease is left in situ such techniques remain useless. My own experience led to the abandonment of revascularized bowel in 1964 because of the difficulty of adequate inferior resection-revascularization presented no problems except operating time. The acknowledged success of the gas-