Diagnosis and treatment of jejunoileal atresia.

A total of 116 cases of intestinal atresia or stenosis were encountered at the Yale-New Haven Hospital between 1970 and 1990. Sites involved were the duodenum (n = 61; 53%), jejunum or ileum (n = 47; 46%), and colon (n = 8; 7%). All but two patients underwent operative correction, for an overall survival rate of 92%. Challenging problems were the management of apple-peel atresia (five patients), multiple intestinal atresia with short-gut syndrome (eight patients), and proximal jejunal atresia with megaduodenum requiring imbrication duodenoplasty (four patients). Major assets in the improved outlook for intestinal atresia are prenatal diagnosis, regionalization of neonatal care, improved recognition of associated conditions, innovative surgical methods, and uncomplicated long-term total parenteral nutrition.