A Rare Complication of Esophageal Exclusion: Esophageal Mucocele

Bipolar esophageal exclusion is a “Hail Mary” procedure for control of leak and persistent mediastinal soilage from esophageal injury. Usually, the esophageal remnant scars down without negative consequences. Esophageal mucocele is a rare complication of bipolar esophageal exclusion. This is a case report of an iatrogenic esophageal transection and the subsequent treatment course. A retrospective chart review of the patient’s medical and surgical history was performed. After a robotic hiatal hernia repair at an outside institution, the patient suffered an esophageal leak and was surgically treated with esophageal exclusion, wide drainage of the mediastinum, and decortication of the resulting empyema. She subsequently underwent retrosternal gastric conduit for esophageal reconstruction 4 months later. Three years after this, she developed a rare complication of esophageal exclusion, a symptomatic esophageal mucocele that required resection.