A 539-g baby with triple atresia had her chest operation delayed 127 days
In a 539-g infant with triple atresia, surgeons controlled airflow through the abdomen first and waited months before repairing the esophagus through the chest.
Triple atresia combines esophageal atresia, duodenal atresia and anorectal malformation. No established management exists for extremely low-birth-weight infants. This case report describes one infant weighing 539 g with severe respiratory failure.
On day 0, surgeons placed a band around the abdominal esophagus and created a gastrostomy, which controlled airflow through the tracheoesophageal fistula without opening the chest. On day 18, when the baby weighed 680 g, the duodenal repair and a colostomy allowed enteral feeding. After growth to 1924 g, a thoracoscopic esophageal repair was done on day 127, and the band came out without esophageal injury. The infant went home on day 219 at 2793 g, with partial oral intake and no anastomotic stricture.
This is a single case, so it cannot show that the approach is safe or better than alternatives in other infants.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the published abstract and reviewed by a physician. Not medical advice. Learn more
