Gastric tube oesophagoplasty for oesophageal atresia: a follow-up study. Part I: Clinical controls.

From 1975 to 1981, 12 gastric tube oesophagoplasties were performed in our institute for long-gap oesophageal atresias. All cases of the series, but one, have been reconstructed by means of a distally based tube. The authors discuss the criteria of choice of gastric tube and describe all the results of a clinical follow-up conducted in 9 cases, two to eight years after successful surgery. Height and weight patterns, in particular, show a fully satisfactory growth for all gastric tube children.