Tracheoesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia
Repairingthe defects
An operation to repair an oesophageal atresiaand tracheo-oesophageal fistula is usually done soon after birth.
Your baby will be taken to the neonatal intensive care unit, where they're given a general anaesthetic . They will receive nutrition into a vein (intravenously) and a suction tube is usedtoremove fluid from the pouch in their oesophagus.
The surgeon makes a cut on the right side of the chest, between the ribs, and closes off the abnormal connection (fistula) between the oesophagus and windpipe. The surgeon will then sew together the upper and lower parts of the oesophagus.
If the gap in the oesophagus is large, your childmay need to wait a few months for the operation, to allow their oesophagus to grow a bit more. In this case, they'll need to have a feeding tube temporarilyplaced into their stomachthrough theirtummy. Occasionally, a procedure to lengthen the oesophagus before repairing it may be carried out.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Oesophageal atresia is a rare birth defect that affects a baby's oesophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach).
Causes of oesophageal atresia
Oesophageal atresia is thought to be caused by a problem with the development of the oesophagus while the baby is in the womb, although it's not clear exactly why this happens. The condition is more
Diagnosing oesophageal atresia
Doctors may suspect your baby has oesophageal atresia before they're born if routine ultrasound scans show a lot of amniotic fluid in the womb, although this can have a number of causes. Tests to che
Repairingthe defects
An operation to repair an oesophageal atresiaand tracheo-oesophageal fistula is usually done soon after birth. Your baby will be taken to the neonatal intensive care unit, where they're given a gener
After surgery
After surgery, your child will be kept in the intensive care unit and placed in an incubator. They may also need: antibiotics a machine to help them breathe (ventilator) atube into theirchest to
Going home
You'll be able to take your baby home once they're taking food by mouth. This will usuallytake a week or two.You'll be advised about how to feed your child when they get home and as they get older. B
Risks of surgery
With any surgery, there is a small risk of bleeding and infection. For this particular operation, the additional risks are: food or air leaking from the area being repaired narrowing of the repair
Outlook
Most children who have had surgery to repair oesophageal atresia and/or tracheo-oesophageal fistula will go on to have normal lives. However, there's a chance your child may experience some further p
Information about your child
If your child hadoesophageal atresia as a baby, your clinical team will pass information about him or her on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS). This
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