[Recurrent esophago-respiratory tract fistula after repair of esophageal atresia with tracheo-esophageal fistula].

Esophageal atresia is a congenital malformation present in 1 in 4500 live births. 85% of such newborns also have a fistula connecting the distal esophagus with the trachea. Operative management includes closing the fistula by disconnecting the distal esophagus from the trachea and performing end-to-end esophago-esophageal anastomosis. A late complication is a recurrence of the fistula between esophagus and respiratory tract. The recurrent fistula is usually between the esophagus and the trachea, but it may involve the bronchi or lung tissue. This complication causes significant respiratory morbidity, mainly recurrent pneumonia, and sometimes death. The diagnosis of recurrent fistula is usually by barium swallow and/or esphagobronchoscopy. Repair is a surgical challenge. We report 5 infants with recurrent esophago-respiratory tract fistulas out of a total of 68 cases of esophageal atresia with tracheo-bronchial fistula.