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Esophageal atresia - Treatment

Alternative Names

Tracheoesophageal fistula

Treatment:

Esophageal atresia is considered a surgical emergency. Surgery to repair the esophagus should be done quickly after the baby is stabilized so that the lungs are not damaged and the baby can be fed.

Before the surgery, the baby is not fed by mouth. Care is taken to prevent the baby from breathing secretions into the lungs.

Expectations (prognosis):

An early diagnosis gives a better chance of a good outcome.

Complications:

The infant may breath saliva and other secretions into the lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia, choking, and possibly death.

Other complications may include:

Feeding problems
Reflux (the repeated bringing up of food from the stomach) after surgery
Narrowing (stricture) of the esophagus due to scarring from surgery

Prematurity may complicate the condition.

Calling your health care provider:

This disorder is usually diagnosed shortly after birth.

Call your baby's health care provider if the baby vomits repeatedly after feedings, or if the baby develops breathing difficulties.

Tracheoesophageal fistula repair - series

Reviewed last on: 9/14/2009
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Orenstein S, Peters J, Khan S, Youssef N, Hussain SZ. Congenital anomalies: esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 316.

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