The most adequate process to cure the pharyngeal-esophageal diverticulum seems to be its surgical removal. In Brazil, we must emphasize the work of E. Vasconcelos, who studied the subject very thoroughly. Nowadays, the surgical removal of the diverticulum can be done safely, owing to antibiotics. The era when one small opening in the neck of the diverticulum represented an almost certain mediastinitis, with great risk to the patient's life, is now over. Thus the surgical removal of the pharyngealesophageal diverticulum has been done by many outstanding surgeons in all countries. Sometimes it is not easy to reach the diverticulum which extends into the chest, especially in patients with short necks. In order to make the surgery easier we suggest the following technique:
Before the patient goes under general anesthesia we locally anesthetize one of the nostrils in order to pass a Nelaton catheter (No. 12 or 14) through it.