Reassessment of the end-to-side operation for esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula: 22-year experience with 68 cases

End-to-side anastomosis (ES) and ligation of the tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) has been the procedure of choice for esophageal atresia at our institution since 1967. This report summarizes our operative and long-term results with the ES operation in 68 babies, including 33 in Waterston group A (50%), 23 in group B (35%), and 12 in group C (15%). An additional 10 patients had a primary end-to-end (EE) anastomosis, while 14 others required either staged EE repair or an esophageal replacement procedure. Overall survival rate with ES was 93% including two deaths attributed to major anastomotic leaks and sepsis, and three others in group C from cardiac anomalies. Six (9%) of those having ES anastomosis developed a recurrent TEF between 40 days and 21 months of age, necessitating reoperation. Predisposing factors to recurrent TEF were surgical inexperience (three cases; first operation for each surgeon), forceful vomiting secondary to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in two, and drug overdose in one. Anastomotic leak occurred in seven (10%) following end-to-side repair and was implicated in two deaths. Three patients developed minor anastomotic stricture requiring less than three dilatations, while one with a tight stricture needed as many as five dilatations over the first 14 months of life. Mild dysphagia and respiratory symptoms were uniformly observed during the first year, but only five patients (7%), including the two with recurrent TEF, required fundoplication for persistent GER. All patients were eating table foods after 1 year of age, while 10 (15%) have required periodic endoscopic removal of solid food lodged at the radiographically unobstructed anastomosis. Eight patients in Waterston groups B and C remain below the fifth percentile in weight. It is concluded that the principal advantages of ES over EE repair are a lesser incidence of anastomotic leak, stricture, and GER with a similar incidence of recurrent TEF usually reported for EE repair. The risk of recurrent TEF is minimized with greater operator experience and prompt correction of severe GER by fundoplication. ES repair remains the favored operation for esophageal atresia at this institution.