Fluoroscopic balloon dilation of esophageal atresia anastomotic strictures in children and young adults: single-center study of 103 consecutive patients from 1999 to 2011.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether fluoroscopic balloon dilation (FBD) is a safe and effective method of treating esophageal anastomotic stricture after surgical repair in an unselected patient population.


METHODS
With ethics committee approval, records for 103 consecutive patients who underwent FBD with our interventional radiology service (1999-2011) were reviewed retrospectively. Patients underwent diagnostic contrast material-enhanced study prior to the first dilation. Dilations were performed by using general anesthesia. Outcomes were number and/or frequency of dilations, clinical effectiveness and response to dilations, esophageal perforation, requirement for surgery, and mortality. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (with range). Comparisons were conducted by using the Fisher exact test and log-rank test. The significance level was set at P < .05.


RESULTS
One hundred three patients (61 male patients, 59%) underwent 378 FBD sessions (median, two dilations per patient; range, 1-40 dilations). The median age at first FBD was 2.2 years (range, 0.1-19.5 years). The balloon catheter diameters ranged from 4 to 20 mm. FBD was successful in 93 patients (90%): 44 (47%) after single dilation and 49 (53%) after multiple dilations. There was no difference in the proportion of patients who required one dilation and were younger than 1 year versus those who were 1 year of age and older (P > .99; odds ratio, 1.07 [range, 0.43-2.66]). Ten patients (10%) required further procedures: Three underwent stent placement, three underwent esophageal stricture resection, and four underwent esophageal reconstruction. Four esophageal perforations (1%) developed after FBD. Antireflux surgery was performed in 18 patients (17%). There were no deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
FBD for anastomotic strictures after esophageal atresia repair is feasible and acceptably safe and provides relief of symptoms in most patients (90%); however, about half require more than one dilation, and surgery is best predicted if more than 10 dilations are required.
From the Surgery Unit, University College London Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford St, London WC1N 1EH, England (M.T., S.E., P.D.C., A.P.); and Departments of Radiology (A.B., S.C., D.J.R.) and Surgery (M.T., D.P.D., K.M.K.C., P.D.C., E.M.K., A.P., J.I.C.), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, England.
Mandela
M
Thyoka
Alex
A
Barnacle
Samantha
S
Chippington
Simon
S
Eaton
David P
DP
Drake
Kate M K
KM
Cross
Paolo
P
De Coppi
Edward M
EM
Kiely
Agostino
A
Pierro
Joseph I
JI
Curry
Derek J
DJ
Roebuck
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000628:therapy*; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D003287:Contrast Media