Introduction

The successful repair of esophageal atresia remains one of the landmark achievements of pediatric surgery in the twentieth century [1]. Once this barrier of survival had been overcome, new challenges emerged in diagnosing and managing both long gap esophageal atresia and the complications of esophageal surgery and injury in children. While the native esophagus remains the simpler and more preferable option when possible, clinical situations continue to arise where an unsalvageable esophagus requires bridging and a conduit should be considered. These scenarios are rarely encountered in the careers of most pediatric surgeons and should be entertained only by individuals and teams familiar in the reconstructive nuances of the associated procedural options. Select surgeons and institutions have championed various approaches and typically published laudable case series about one operative option. As a result, meaningful comparisons between techniques are difficult to make. This chapter summarizes the existing evidence and surgical options for esophageal replacement.

Content in this topic is referenced in SCORE Esophageal Replacement overview