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Long-term morbidity in adolescents and young adults with surgically treated esophageal atresia

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the long-term morbidity of surgically treated esophageal atresia (EA) in adolescents and young adults and establish whether these long-term morbidities are affected by the type of EA.

Patients and methods

We reviewed the medical records, including backgrounds and associated conditions, of 69 long-term survivors of EA, aged >15 years. The long-term morbidities included neurodevelopmental abnormality, nutritional impairment (short height <−2SD, low BMI <18.5), subjective symptoms, and musculoskeletal deformities. Comparisons of the results were made between Gross A-type EA (n = 6) and Gross C-type EA (n = 63).

Results

All patients underwent esophageal anastomosis without esophageal replacement. Cardiac anomalies and long gap were present in 26 and 18%, respectively. Esophageal dilatation, fundoplication, and aortopexy were performed in 40, 34, and 18%, respectively. The incidence of long gap and esophageal stenosis was higher in Gross A-type EA than in Gross C-type EA. The long-term morbidities included neurodevelopmental abnormality (13%), nutritional impairment (62%: as short height in 34% and as low BMI in 46%), subjective symptoms (14%), and musculoskeletal deformities (59%). There were no differences in the long-term morbidities between Gross A and Gross C.

Conclusions

The incidence of the long-term morbidities is high in adolescents and young adults, regardless of the type of EA. Early detection of morbidity is important to improve the long-term outcomes of EA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Hiroomi Okuyama, Yuko Tazuke, Takehisa Uenoa, Hiroaki Yamanaka, Yuichi Takama & Ryuta Saka

  2. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, 840 Murodocho, Izumi, Osaka, 594-1101, Japan

    Keigo Nara & Noriaki Usui

Authors
  1. Hiroomi Okuyama
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  2. Yuko Tazuke
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  3. Takehisa Uenoa
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  4. Hiroaki Yamanaka
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  5. Yuichi Takama
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  6. Ryuta Saka
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  7. Keigo Nara
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  8. Noriaki Usui
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Correspondence to Hiroomi Okuyama.

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Okuyama, H., Tazuke, Y., Uenoa, T. et al. Long-term morbidity in adolescents and young adults with surgically treated esophageal atresia. Surg Today 47, 872–876 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-016-1462-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-016-1462-x

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