 Post-operatively, each of the patients participated in a free-of-charge outpatient follow-up program that entailed visits at 6 months, 12 months, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years following surgery. At 1, 3, and 5 years, patients participated in a clinical interview and underwent both an upper GI endoscopy and a barium swallow study. The methodologies of these tests were the same as those used for the pre-operative work-up. Following the initial five-year follow-up period, patients were offered the opportunity to attend an outpatient clinical consultation every 3 years, as well as to undergo an endoscopy and a radiological examination of the esophagus and stomach. The follow-up procedures were established according to the good practice criteria accepted by the Italian Health Service. Patients voluntarily agreed to participate in the program. The length of the follow-up was calculated based on the amount of time that elapsed between the date of each patients surgery and the day on which each patient appeared for the final follow-up visit. 