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A retrospective study was made of the functional results of the tube stomach created in 80 patients after oesophageal resection because of carcinoma to restore the continuity. The study concerned patients who had survived the operation for longer than 18 months without indications of tumour recurrence or metastases and of whom clinical and endoscopical data of 3 months and one year after the operation were available. The functional results of the tube stomach may be regarded as good because one year postoperatively 86% of the patients were classified as excellent or very good according to the modified Visick classification. Dumping (18%), a sensation of fullness (26%) and diarrhoea (28%) were frequent complaints, occurring mostly soon after the operation. After one year these complaints are almost completely gone. Three months postoperatively, 19% of the patients had a stenosis of the anastomosis that required one or more dilatations. Reflux oesophagitis is the major late complication, leading to late stricture of the anastomosis. Reflux oesophagitis was encountered in 43% of the patients with an intrathoracic anastomosis and in only 6% of those with a cervical anastomosis; the difference is statistically significant. After one year, a stenosis due to reflux was encountered in four of the 30 patients (13%) with an intrathoracic anastomosis and in only one of the 50 patients (2%) with a cervical anastomosis. These results show that from the functional point of view, as well, the stomach is a good substitution organ after oesophageal resection, provided the anastomosis is created in the neck.

106 patients had a partial gastrectomy for a benign gastric ulcer. 63 of them got a long-term follow-up. The mean follow-up is 127 months. The mortality rate of the emergency operation is 20%. For the elective operation the mortality rate is 0%. More than 90% of the patients have no complaints after a long time. Following a Billroth I operation most patients feel better initially but later there is no difference at all. The frequency of the ulcer recurrence following a B I is higher than following a B II, but it is lower than after another operation (resp. 5.8% and 2.2%). For these reasons we propose a partial gastrectomy for a benign gastric ulcer in elective circumstances. To prevent alkaline biliary reflux gastritis a 2/3 distal gastrectomy with selective vagotomy and Roux-in-Y anastomosis has to become a routine operation. In emergency circumstances a partial gastrectomy is not indicated because of the high mortality rate.

In the period 1957-1987, 240 corpora aliena in the esophagus were treated. The foreign body could be extracted under endoscopy in 228 cases (95%). In 12 cases the non-invasive extraction technic failed, so we have to remove the foreign body surgically. The most difficult bodies to extract by endoscopic way are the big, the sharp or pointed ones. On the surgical point of view, the way of approach depends on the level of the impacted body. The problem of post-operative fistula and abscess formation after surgery, can be avoided by a correct technic, exclusion of underlying pathology, an adequate drainage and consequent infection treatment.