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Surgical Versus Endoscopic Management for Esophageal Perforations

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Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery

Abstract

Esophageal perforations remains a challenging clinical problem and is associated with a high mortality rate. Since the introduction of conservative and endoscopic therapies treatment has been increasingly diversified. In this chapter the currently available surgical and endoscopic treatment strategies are introduced and discussed against the background of the most recent literature. The published experiences of esophageal perforations are limited and typically reported from single centers. Timely initial assessment and diagnosis as well as providing a tailored approach for each patient are critically importance to achieve best outcomes. Best evidence currently suggests that this is best provided in high-volume centers where a multidisciplinary team with expertise in esophageal surgery, interventional radiology and endoscopy is available.

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Correspondence to Donald E. Low MD, FACS, FRCS(c) .

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Schmidt, H.M., Low, D.E. (2014). Surgical Versus Endoscopic Management for Esophageal Perforations. In: Ferguson, M. (eds) Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach, vol 1. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6404-3_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6404-3_32

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