Letter to the Editor: Preservation of the Azygos Vein in Esophageal Atresia Repair: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Meta-Analyses

Since the first description of primary repair for esophageal atresia (EA), the core surgical technique has remained largely unchanged; however, preservation of the azygos vein (AV) has increasingly been advocated as a preferred approach in recent years. The AV is a major vessel responsible for venous drainage of the esophagus and mediastinum, and a portion of the lymphatic flow also drains into this system. It has been proposed that preservation of the AV may reduce esophageal anastomotic edema and mediastinal inflammation by maintaining adequate venous outflow [1].