HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Balazs, A. Articles by Galambos, Z. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Balazs, A. Articles by Galambos, Z. Related Collections Esophagus - cancer Esophagus - other

Esophagorespiratory fistulas of tumorous origin. Non-operative management of 264 cases in a 20-year period

Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Ülli u. 78. 1082, Hungary

Received 19 December 2007; received in revised form 20 May 2008; accepted 11 June 2008.

^_* Corresponding author. Tel.: +36 1 313 5216; fax: +36 1 314 3431. (Email: balazsdr{at}gmail.com).

Objective: Esophagorespiratory fistulas developing from malignant tumors have serious complications by maintaining continuous airway contamination. The objective was to reveal the incidence, causes and characteristics of fistula formation and to examine the possibilities and efficiency of the treatment. Methods: In a single-center study between 1984 and 2004, the data of 2113 patients with tumorous esophageal stenosis were analyzed. Esophagorespiratory fistulas were detected in 264 cases (12.5%). Successful esophageal intubation, stent correction or replacement was performed in 188 cases, while there was one lethal complication. Twenty-seven patients had an intervention for nutritional support: 25 gastrostomies, 1 jejunostomy and 1 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Results: The mean survival period of all patients was 2.8 months; patients with implanted endoprosthesis 3.4 months; with nutritional support 1.1 months and with only supportive therapy 1.3 months, respectively. The differences between the endoprosthesis implanted group and the other two groups were significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: By sealing the fistula, a successful endoscopic esophageal intubation ends the severe respiratory contamination and the inability to swallow, improving the quality of life and survival period. After the procedure, it is the malignant tumor and not the fistula that determines the future of the patient.

Key Words: Esophageal cancer • Esophagorespiratory fistula • Endoprosthesis • Esophageal stents

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Kotsis What is the most effective palliation for esophagorespiratory fistulas? Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., July 1, 2009; 36(1): 225 - 225. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Balazs, P. K. Kupcsulik, and Z. Galambos Reply to Kotsis Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., July 1, 2009; 36(1): 226 - 226. [Full Text] [PDF]