Extra-anatomic bypass grafting for aortoesophageal fistula: a logical operation.

Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is an uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Usually, but not always, patients present with a small sentinel bleed followed by a variable interval of apparent resolution, and then they experience a massive exsanguinating hemorrhage. The variable interval of time after the sentinel bleed is the period in which most AEFs resulting from thoracic aortic aneurysm have been successfully treated. Although only a few successful cases have been reported in the literature, most describe an in situ repair. We describe treatment of a late-presenting AEF due to a thoracic aneurysm with an extra-anatomic bypass graft for the aortic repair.