MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Tracheoesophageal fistula repair

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Tracheoesophageal fistula repair - series: Procedure, part 2

Tracheoesophageal fistula repair - seriesIllustrations:

Procedure, part 2

The ends of the esophagus are sutured back together. In many cases, infants are very ill, and therefore require a staged procedure. This involves placing a tube in the stomach (gastrostomy tube), in order to decompress the stomach and prevent fluid in the stomach from flowing up the esophagus, through the fistula and into the lungs. The infant is then cared for in an intensive care unit until he or she is well enough to undergo resection of the fistula and a definitive repair of the esophagus.

Update Date: 2/23/2006

Updated by: Mary C. Mancini, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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