[Present and future treatment of esophageal atresia].

Abstract

There has been steady improvement in the overall survival rate of patients with esophageal atresia during the past 30 years. With modern neonatal intensive care, very low birth-weight infants with esophageal atresia are also expected to survive. However, there are many questions in the treatment including delayed primary surgery and multistaged esophageal elongation for extremely low birth-weight infants and patients with long-gap esophageal atresia, respectively. On the other hand, reports of thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia are increasing, although there has been no report on long-term follow-up. This procedure has many advantages including wound cosmesis and little thoracic deformity, but it is technically difficult even for experienced endoscopic surgeons and is performed only in a few children's hospital in Japan. Easier thoracoscopic surgery using robotic technology is expected in the near future.

• Authors: Tadashi Iwanaka
• Journal: Nihon Geka Gakkai zasshi (Nihon Geka Gakkai Zasshi) Vol. 108 Issue 6 Pg. 329-32 (Nov 2007) ISSN: 0301-4894 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 18051476 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Esophageal Atresia (surgery)
• Humans
• Infant, Newborn
• Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
• Thoracic Surgical Procedures (trends)