Esophageal substitution or esophageal elongation procedures in patients with complicated esophageal atresia? Results of a comparative study

Comparative study of 276 pediatric patients with complex esophageal atresia shows esophageal replacement procedures (colonic interposition or gastric transposition) achieve superior long-term swallowing outcomes compared to elongation techniques. Quality of life was excellent/good in 90% of patients, with normal deglutition in 98.2% versus 33-63% in elongation series.