Don't mind the gap: Esophageal replacement strategies and future perspectives for long-gap esophageal atresia

Abstract

This thesis aims to describe the surgical treatment and the long-term sequelae of patients with long-gap esophageal atresia (LGEA) in the Netherlands. Until recently, surgical correction for LGEA in the Netherlands was performed with a Gastric Pull-Up (GPU) or a Jejunal Interposition(JI). However, there is still no consensus regarding the optimal surgical approach for LGEA. More recently, a thoracoscopic external traction technique (TTT) followed by esophago- esophagostomy has been developed to bridge the long-gap. TTT might form a promising esophagus-preserving strategy for LGEA patients but limited data have been published. We introduce the first results our pilot study over feasibility, safety and efficiency of TTT.