Pulmonary complications together with surgical complications are the most frequent causes for morbidity and mortality after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy. The con­tinuous improvement of surgical techniques has led to a decrease in surgical complications, whereas up to 30% of the patients develop postoperative pulmonary complications such as acute lung injury (ALI) or even the more severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which are characterized by an acute inflammation in the lung parenchyma and the airspace. Evidence from several studies indicates that a complex network of inflammatory cytokines and mediators play a key role in mediation, amplification, and perpetuation of the process of lung injury and that the thoracotomy itself is a risk factor for developing ALI or ARDS. In this trial, the cytokine levels of IL6, IL8 and IL10 were measured and compared in 30 patients who had undergone an extended radical thoracoabdominal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, via anterolateral thoracotomy (n=17) or posterolateral thoracotomy (n=13). Patients of both groups were similar in terms of age, sex and preoperative pulmonary function as well as in the anesthetic procedures they have undergone. All patients displayed significantly increased serum levels of IL6 and IL8 after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy. However, patients who were subjected to an anterolateral thoracotomy were reported with significantly higher serum levels of IL6 and IL8 compared to patients who had received a posterolateral thoracotomy. Thus, the choice of the thoracotomy method during the thoracoabdominal esophagectomy and the resultant cytokine levels may contribute to the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications and may have an impact on the extent and severity of the surgical stress.

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