Pulmonary aspiration during induction of general anesthesia in a postesophagectomy patient

Although a large number of studies on pulmonary aspiration have been reported [1,2] and precautions are being taken to prevent this complication [3], all of these studies and precautions involve patients with a normal upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As far as we know, there is currently no documentation in the literature, including major textbooks, of studies investigating whether standard precautions are sufficient to prevent pulmonary aspiration in patients with a history of esophageal or gastric surgery. Here we would like to report a case of pulmonary aspiration in a postesophagectomy patient during induction of anesthesia, because this case is valuable to clarify the risks of aspiration in patients who have undergone upper GI tract surgery.