Surgical treatment of congenital esophageal atresia in neonates

Abstract

Objective To summarize the diagnosis and treatment for congenital esophageal atresia (CEA) in neonates. Methods From June 2002 to June 2010, 61 neonates with congenital esophageal atresia underwent surgery at this center. Of these patients, 34 were boys and 27 were girls. Their age ranged from 18 hours to 7 days (mean, 2. 5 ±0. 6 days). Their weight ranged from 1500 grams to 4000 grams. Sixteen patients were very low-birth-weight infants (＜1500 g). According to the anomalies of CEA, 2 were diagnosed with type Ⅰ CEA, and the other 59 were type Ⅲ CEA (32 type Ⅲa and 27 type Ⅲb). The most common associated anomalies were cardiac anomalies (16, 26%), followed by intestinal anomalies (5, 8%) and renal anomalies (3, 5%). Results The 2 cases with type Ⅰ CEA underwent proximal drainage of esophagus and gastrostomy to stabilize their conditions. Two weeks later, they underwent the second stage surgery to replace esophagus with colon. The 59 patients with type Ⅲ CEA underwent fistulectomy and end-to-end esophagus anastomosis via thoracic approach. A stenosis in the medial-distal esophagus was found on 1 type Ⅲa CEA patients, and was repair with longitudinal incision and transverse suture. Postoperative complications included pneumonia on 42 patients (68. 8%), scleredema on 3 patients (4. 9%), mild anastomosis orifice stenosis on 24 patients (39. 3%), and anastomosis orifice fistula on 3 patients (4. 9%). One patient died of intestinal perforation 2 days after surgery. Three patients were given up including 1 developed kernicterus 1week after surgery, and the other 2 had serious pulmonary infection and couldn't be withdrawn from mechanical ventilation. The other 57 cases were discharged from hospital. The patients were followed up for 3 months to 8 years. Three patients had mild gastroesophageal reflux. The others ate and drank normally during follow-up. Conclusions Early diagnosis and carefully management of postoperative complications are important to improve clinical outcomes and prognosis of congenital esophageal atresia in neonates. Key words: Esophageal atresia; Postoperative complications; Thoracic surgical procedures