Long-gap esophageal atresia: reconstruction preserving all portions of the esophagus by Schärli's technique

Abstract

For distances of over 4–5 cm, esophageal replacement is almost always necessary in esophageal atresias. We present the technical details and describe our experience with esophageal reconstruction by elongation of the lesser curvature (Schärli's technique) in four cases of very long atresias. A retrosternal transposition was made without a thoracotomy in two children, and an orthotopic mediastinal route through a right thoracotomy was done in two others. There were two main complications: anastomotic leaks in three patients that closed spontaneously, and too-rapid gastric emptying, resulting in dumping symptoms that improved with time and diet. One patient developed an anastomotic stricture that responded to bouginage, while another had temporary feeding problems. Esophageal reconstruction by elongation of the lesser curvature provides a relatively simple method of esophageal replacement in children in that all portions of the esophagus are preserved. We propose this technique for early establishment of esophageal continuity in neonates.