title: Surgical treatment of esophageal perforations: the importance of a primary repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the current study was to evaluate the outcome after primary repair in comparison to other surgical treatments and the advantage of reinforcing the sutures with an absorbable polyglactin 910 prosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All esophageal perforations surgically managed in this institution from January 1985 through April 2009 (n = 40) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients that underwent surgery with primary sutures (group A, n = 24) were compared with patients that received other surgical procedures (group B, n = 16). The time to initiate treatment (within or after the first 24 h) and if the suture was reinforced with a polyglactin 910 mesh were also analyzed in group A patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The outcome was more favorable in group A than group B in terms of time in the intensive care unit (p = 0.005), and rate of reoperation (p = 0.005). There was no difference in the outcome after the primary suture with or without mesh reinforcement, although the rate of fistulization was lower in patients with a mesh (17 vs. 50 %, p = 0.19).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary repair has a better outcome than other surgical treatment, even when performed more than 24 h after symptom onset, but not later than 48 h. Reinforcing the sutures with an absorbable polyglactin 910 mesh therefore seems to improve the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Hépatobiliaire et Digestive, Hôpital Pontchaillou, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sulpice
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rayar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laviolle
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cunin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merdrignac
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boudjema
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meunier
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000368:Aged; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011098:Polyglactin 910