Emergency repair of esophageal atresia with lower fistula and segment elongation in cases with a large gap between segments

Temporary Retrograde Occlusion of High-Flow Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula

This report describes a temporary retrograde occlusion technique for control of a high-flow tracheo-esophageal fistula in a critically ill, premature infant born at 29 weeks' gestational age, with a diagnosis of type C (Gross) esophageal atresia and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). This procedure is a useful bridging maneuver before definitive surgical correction for extremely low birth weight, unstable neonates with tracheo-esophageal fistula who are suffering from associated malformations.

Delayed primary reconstruction of esophageal atresia and distal tracheoesophageal fistula in a 471-g infant

INTRODUCTION

Waterston et al. have classified the risk of morbidity in infants with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. However, few cases of esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula in extremely low birth weights infants have been reported. In such infants, the selection of primary reconstruction or staged repair remains controversial. In the present report, we describe the difficulties of perioperative management of such small infants and discuss how to rescue them.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 471-g female infant was delivered at 28 weeks' gestation via cesarean section. Esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula was diagnosed. Esophageal banding and gastrostomy were performed via laparotomy on day 1. On day 74, when the infant weighed almost 1000g, airway management was discontinued. On day 136, endotracheal intubation again became necessary because of respiratory problems, and the esophagus was reconstructed on day 141. Despite this operation, the patient died on day 276 because of continuing respiratory problems.

DISCUSSION

Esophageal banding is considered an appropriate treatment for respiratory problems in such extremely low weight infants. However, the timing of dissection of the tracheoesophageal fistula after esophageal banding is extremely important.

CONCLUSION

In the present case, ligation of the tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal reconstruction should have been performed as soon as possible.

Temporary transgastric fistula occlusion as salvage procedure in neonates with esophageal atresia with wide distal fistula and moderate to severe pneumonia

A method to achieve distal fistula occlusion by inflating the balloon of a catheter placed at the gastroesophageal junction via a transgastric route was tried in seven consecutive neonates with esophageal atresia and wide distal fistula. Due to associated moderate or severe pneumonia, these infants were at poor anesthetic risk for the definitive repair. The procedure was done under local anesthesia with mild sedation and took an average of half an hour for completion. Another feeding tube was negotiated through another gastrotomy across the pylorus to allow early enteral feeds. Temporary transgastric fistula occlusion (TTFO) allowed better ventilation of the hypocompliant lungs (by increasing resistance at the fistulous end), prevented lung injury due to aspiration of the refluxing gastric juices, and facilitated optimal ventilation by preventing epigastric distension. All study subjects survived this procedure except for one of our earlier study subjects who died of massive pneumothorax that was a procedure-related complication. None of the remaining subjects required mechanical ventilation either after TTFO or after the definitive esophageal repair that was carried out 5-7 days subsequent to TTFO, except for one other neonate with right lung aplasia who began deteriorating 48 h after thoracotomy and died of cardiac failure. There were no anastomosis-related problems among the survivors over a 12-month follow-up. The gratifying results of our study prompt us to suggest that this procedure deserves attention, and its role should be explored for salvaging neonates with type C esophageal atresia with wide fistula and pneumonia in developing countries with few neonatal intensive care services.

Transabdominal closure of tracheoesophageal fistula: a new procedure for the management of poor-risk esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula

Nissen fundoplication results in closure of the tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) without the necessity for a thoracic operation by preventing both the reflux of gastric contents into the lungs through the distal TEF, and leakage of air into the stomach of less than 30 cm H2O intrapulmonary pressure. This procedure can safely be used even for a poor-risk patient and adequate nutritional support (full-strength milk) can be provided immediately after the fundoplication by a gastrostomy tube because the gastric contents cannot reflux into the lungs. This procedure was performed on two patients with esophageal atresia and distal TEF in Waterston Group C and gave successful results.

Pressure-induced growth (PIG) of atretic esophagus: a contigent management for high-risk esophageal atresia

A method is described by which a balloon catheter is inserted into the lower pouch, avoiding aspiration pneumonia due to overflow of gastric contents via a lower tracheoesophageal fistula in high-risk cases of esophageal atresia. As a side-effect there is an enlargement of the lower pouch, termed by the authors "pressure-induced growth". The prevention of aspiration pneumonia, induction of growth of the atretic segment, and the application of this method as the first part of a staged management of esophageal atresia in high-risk cases are the advantages.

The history of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula--1670-1984

The history of oesophageal atresia commenced in the year 1670 with Durston's description of "A narrative of a monstrous birth at Plymouth". However, the most significant contribution in the 17th century was made by Gibson, who clearly described the clinical picture and necropsy findings in a baby with a proximal oesophageal atresia and a distal tracheo-oesophageal fistula. The 18th century was singularly lacking in contributions to the literature, but there were many important presentations during the 19th century. Early in that century Martin in France and Hill in United States of America contributed to the literature; subsequently, many anecdotal references can be found particularly in England, and ultimately a surgical attempt to correct the anomaly was made in 1888 by Steele in London. With this, the pre-surgical era gave way to the surgical era, and at a later stage pre-survival era was to give way to the survival phase. Reference will be made in the text to these various phases in the history and to the many pioneering surgical endeavours which took place in the earlier years of the 20th century. It will be seen that the surgical efforts employed palliative procedures, indirect attacks on the problem and finally direct attacks. The classic successes by indirect methods which were achieved by Ladd and Leven in babies born in 1939 were to be followed by the first successful end-to-end anastomosis which was achieved in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by Cameron Haight. Others had attempted primary anastomosis, and Lanman in particular deserves mention. However, it was Cameron Haight who opened a new era in the history of the treatment of oesophageal atresia; the recent history is largely concerned with increasing experience and refinements in technique. For the future historian many pathways can still be explored, including oesophageal replacement, the unstable trachea, follow-up studies and research projects. This history also included comments on the history of the less frequently encountered anomalies and such aspects as classification and radiology. The history of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula is a mini history of surgery - "oesophageal atresia is the epitome of modern surgery".

Esophageal atresia. Prognostic factors and contribution of preoperative telescopic endoscopy

In recent years, the surgical correction of esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) has become increasingly successful. However, there remains a group of high-risk patients with specific anatomical abnormalities in whom the mortality remains appreciable. These associated disorders include cardiac, renal, and chromosomal anomalies as well as severe respiratory distress syndrome. These factors, rather than low birth weight or early gestational age, are primarily responsible for surgical mortality. Preoperative telescopic bronchoscopy has been a useful adjuvant confirming the diagnosis, identifying unusual variants, and permitting the proper anatomic placement of the endotracheal tube. A Fogarty balloon catheter can be passed bronchoscopically into the distal TEF in patients with severe respiratory distress syndrome to occlude the fistula and facilitate effective positive pressure ventilation. Thirty-two patients were treated for esophageal atresia among whom 28 had esophageal atresia with distal TEF, three had esophageal atresia alone, and one had esophageal atresia with proximal TEF. The higher-risk group comprised those with severe respiratory insufficiency as evidenced by a room air paO2 of less than 60 mmHg; this group accounted for nine of the ten deaths in the total series. There was one late death following surgical correction. In summary, in the absence of severe respiratory insufficiency or associated life-threatening congenital anomalies, the results of surgical correction for esophageal atresia are remarkably good and survival in this group approximates 100%.