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Overview
The ends of the esophagus are sutured back together. In many cases, infants are very ill, and therefore require a staged procedure. This involves placing a tube in the stomach (gastrostomy tube), in order to decompress the stomach and prevent fluid in the stomach from flowing up the esophagus, through the fistula and into the lungs. The infant is then cared for in an intensive care unit until he or she is well enough to undergo resection of the fistula and a definitive repair of the esophagus.
Review Date 11/9/2021
Updated by: Kimberly G. Lee, MD, MSc, IBCLC, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.