To the Editor It is with great interest that we reviewed the study by Haisley et al1 relating to the importance of early detection of anastomotic leak (AL). During the study period, 227 patients underwent esophagectomy, of whom 22 experienced AL. Of these, 32% were identified by routine contrast esophagram (CE), and the remaining 68% were identified clinically after normal CE. The authors report a shorter length of stay (LOS; 18 vs 29 days) and lower hospital cost ($149 764 vs $228 816) in patients with AL detected by CE.1