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Esophageal Anatomy and Physiology for the Surgeon

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Abstract

The esophagus can be divided into three anatomic parts, i.e., the cervical, thoracic, and abdominal esophagus. The esophageal wall consists of three layers: the mucosa, the submucosa, and the muscle layer, which is composed of an inner circular and an outer longitudinal layer. The lymphatic drainage is not segmental: lymph can flow for a long distance in the plexus before crossing the muscular layer and reaching the paraesophageal lymph nodes.

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Correspondence to Marco G. Patti MD .

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Allaix, M.E., Patti, M.G. (2014). Esophageal Anatomy and Physiology for the Surgeon. In: Fisichella, P., Soper, N., Pellegrini, C., Patti, M. (eds) Surgical Management of Benign Esophageal Disorders. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5484-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5484-6_1

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