Esophageal stents in children: Bridge to surgical repair

Bethany J Slater, Ashwin Pimpalwar, David Wesson, Oluyinka Olutoye, Sheena Pimpalwar

Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging 2018 28(2):242-246

Management of complex esophageal problems in children is challenging. We report our experience with the use of esophageal stents in three children with esophageal strictures, leaks, or airway-esophageal fistulae refractory to conventional treatment. The stent played a key role in allowing extubation of a child with a large tracheo-esophageal-pleural fistula and in the resolution of pulmonary infection in a child with esophago-bronchial fistula, both followed by surgery. In the third child, with stricture, stents were complicated with migration, esophageal erosion, and esophago-bronchial fistula. In our experience, esophageal stents were useful mainly as a bridge to definitive surgical repair.

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