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Information for Parents

​Esophageal replacement in children

  • What is this disease?

    • Esophageal replacement to restore the continuity between mouth and stomach is required in children  for  indications like long gap esophageal atresia , severe peptic, caustic or anastomotic strictures, and some rare esophageal disorders.

  • How it is diagnosed?

    • The child will have history of absent esophagus since birth or accidental history of ingestion of caustic. They will have difficulty in feeding and drooling of saliva with weight loss and recurrent chest infections. Gastrograffin swallow and Upper Gastrointestinal tract endoscopy is diagnostic.

  • How it is treated?

    • For indicated children, replacement of esophagus by a suitable tissue ( stomach or colon) is done. It is a major surgery and child will need PICU care after surgery.

  • When it should be operated?

    • The decision to operate will depend upon clinical condition of child. It is done at round one year of age for esophageal atresia children and for strictures, child is operated after optimization of his nutritional status

  • Are there other alternative methods of treatment?

    • Initially, the children requiring replacement  are manged by feeding gastrostomy or jejunostomy. For pure esophageal atresia, replacement is needed whereas for strictures esophageal dilatation is considered initially. Need of more than 10 dilatations for stricture esophagus is considered to be an indication of surgery.

  • What all I need to know before my child surgery?

    • Read “All you need to know before your child's surgery” information booklet in website.

  • How is the surgery done?

    • The four most commonly used methods of esophageal replacement still in practice are  Gastric interposition, Gastric tube interposition, Jejunal interposition and colonic interposition.

  • Remarks

    • For more details of surgery, contact your surgeon

  • Related Photographs and videos

    • Few photographs of steps done by me is given here for learning purposes

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