[Early surgical management of severe corrosive burns of the oesophagus (author's transl)].

The authors have treated, as an emergency, 120 adults with corrosive burns. Thet were 22 patients among them checked as severe burns, i. e. who underwent surgical operations. Most of them tried to kill themselves by swallowing great quantities of acid or lye. Subsequently, gastric associated burns were frequent. Critical analysis of these observations, compared with the findings of pathology and in the literature permit one to get through the early management: -- Total fiberendoscopy is a true emergency, but for the patients who actually swallowed a glass or more of strong acid and have to undergo an immediate laparotomy. -- The place ofmajor surgical operations is discussed in relation to further specialist investigations of the appearance of complications. -- The results are assessed in 13 patients who were followed up for a long period.