Full Thickness Skin Graft as an Adjunct in the Repair of a Recurrent Benign Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Abstract

Recurrent nonmalignant tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare problem and is usually associated with high postoperative death. Operative closure of TEF should be attempted in each case, because spontaneous closure is rare. Due to the rarity of these lesions, there are no data on the superiority of the various surgical options in repairing recurrent TEF. The management of this complication is particularly difficult since there is no adequate muscle to separate the tracheal wall and the esophageal suture to help prevent recurrent TEF. We describe a treatment modality of repair of a recurrent postintubation TEF treated by a full thickness skin graft between the trachea and esophagus. This technique yields good clinical results and warrants consideration for the treatment of TEF when other conventional techniques cannot be used.