Outcome of Oesophageal Atresia Beyond Childhood

Abstract

Esophageal atresia; Esophageal dysmotility; Esophagitis; Gastresophageal reflux; Long-term outcome; Metaplasia The overall survival rate of patients with esophageal atresia (OA) has increased significantly during the last decades, and today exceeds 90% of all patients. 1 Today, practically all patients without concomitant severe malformations survive, and the very high mortality of very low birth weight patients and patients with severe cardiac malformation has decreased significantly. Many surviving patients, however, continue having functional problems, especially from their gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system after the initial postoperative period. 2 The overall impact of these problems on the long-term outcome of OA patients is not fully understood. Moreover, it is unclear what impact postnatal postoperative, usually relatively long hospitalization time, and repeated anesthesias for anastomotic dilations in many patients may have on later psychosocial well-being of the patients. There are a limited number of reports concerning longterm outcome of patients with OA. The eventual quality of life appears to be good in most adults. 3,4 This assumption is