title: Surgical management of primary aortoesophageal fistula secondary to thoracic aneurysm.
abstract: Aortoesophageal fistula, secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm, is an uncommon cause of gastrointestinal bleeding that is uniformly fatal without surgical intervention. These may be primary fistulas, in cases of thoracic aortic aneurysm without previous repair, or secondary fistulas occurring after surgical repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm. Surgical treatment has been successful in a small number of cases of primary aortoesophageal fistula, secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm, but techniques used have varied. We report a successful repair of primary aortoesophageal fistula, secondary to descending thoracic aortic aneurysm, and review the evolution of management since the three previously reported successful repairs at our institution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. reardonm@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: LeMaire
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Safi
mesh_terms: D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000150:complications*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*