Introduction:

Esophageal atresia (EA) is a serious congenital malformation, present in 1 in 3,000-4,500 newborns, that interrupts the continuity of the esophagus and hinders the passage of food. Gross type III, the most frequent, represents 85-90% of cases. Management requires immediate surgery and specialized postoperative care. Although survival has improved in developed countries, mortality remains high in developing countries.

Objective:

To describe the clinical and surgical characteristics, as well as the postoperative outcomes, of patients with esophageal atresia treated at a tertiary care hospital, analyzing prognostic factors for survival and complications, and comparing them with international standards.

Materials and methods:

This was an observational, descriptive and retrospective study of patients who underwent surgery for esophageal atresia at a tertiary care hospital during the 2018-2023 time period. Demographic variables, type of esophageal aneurysm (EA) according to Gross classification, associated malformations, comorbidities, surgical procedures, postoperative complications, and survival to hospital discharge were analyzed.

Results:

Thirty-eight surgeries for EA were analyzed, with a male predominance (63%) and an average age of 2.5 days. Type III according to the Gross anatomical classification was the most frequent (81%). Cardiac malformations were identified in 44% of cases. According to the Spitz classification based on birth weight and the presence of major congenital heart disease, 47% corresponded to Group I, 45% to Group II, and 8% to Group III, the latter being associated with higher mortality. Postoperative complications included anastomotic dehiscence, esophageal stenosis, and tracheoesophageal fistulas.

Conclusion:

The results of our surgeries for AE are largely comparable with international standards, although areas for improvement are identified, particularly in the survival of higher-risk patients.

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