Preoperative management of children with esophageal atresia: current perspectives

Abstract

Esophageal atresia remains one of the most challenging congenital anomalies of the newborn. In recent years, because of the advances in prenatal diagnosis, neonatal critical care, and surgical procedures, overall outcomes have improved substantially, including for premature children. Nowadays, most of the research is focused on medium- and long-term morbidity, with particular reference to respiratory and gastroesophageal problems; the high frequency of late sequelae in esophageal atresia warrants regular and multidisciplinary checkups throughout adulthood. Surprisingly, there are few studies on the impact of prenatal diagnosis and there is continuing debate over the prenatal and preoperative management of these complex patients. In this review, we analyze the literature surrounding current knowledge on the management of newborns affected by esophageal atresia, focusing on prenatal management and preoperative assessment.

Keywords:

• prenatal diagnosis
• esophageal atresia
• tracheoesophageal fistula
• ultrasound scan
• tracheobronchoscopy

Author contributions

FP, ALB, SB, and DA conceptualized and designed the study, designed the data collection instruments, drafted the initial manuscript, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Authors declare that this manuscript has never been published and it would not be submitted to any other journal while under consideration for publication in your journal.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.