Tracheoesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia
Introduction
Oesophageal atresiais a rare birth defect that affectsa baby's oesophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach).
The upper part of the oesophagus doesn't connect with the lower oesophagus and stomach. It usuallyends in a pouch, which means food cannot reach the stomach.
It often happensalong with another birth defect called a tracheo-oesophageal fistula, which isa connection between thelower part of the oesophagus and the windpipe (trachea).
This causes air to pass from the windpipe to the oesophagus and stomach, and stomach acid to pass into the lungs.
These defects mean the baby won't be able to swallow safely, if at all. Theycould also developlife-threateningproblems such as choking and Pneumonia if not treated quickly, so surgery will usually becarried out within a few days of birth.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 25 Nov 2016
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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