[Esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula treatment (author's transl)].

One hundred and twenty-six cases of esophageal atresia from two important centers of Belgium were gathered and subdivided into two groups. Group I ranges from 1969 to 1974 and group II from 1975 to 1980. There was an increase of the postoperative survival rate from 70% to 91%. Nevertheless, a great number of patients die in the late postoperative period (10%), mainly due to the associated cardiac pathology. Thus, the final survival rate is much smaller: 72% in group I, 77% in group II. The basic principles of diagnostic approach, the preoperative as well as the operative strategy are the same in both centers. Secondary interventions, however, are different in these two centers, but the coloplasty as well as the Howard technique have given excellent results. Eleven patients presented the isolated H-shaped tracheo-esophageal fistula. This group was treated separately because of the excellent results of treatment (100% survival).