[Our experience with surgery of esophageal stenosis caused by caustic soda. Apropos of 128 cases].

The authors report a series of 128 cases of esophageal burns due to caustic soda, treated between 1974 and 1987 in the Dept. of Surgery of the Friguia Kimbo Alumina Factory Hospital. 95% of patients were children aged less than 15. Ingestion was generally accidental. In view of the delay before patients were seen, in addition to parenteral alimentation, nutrition was covered by an alimentation gastrostomy performed in 96% of patients immediately following admission. Dilator treatment was used in 37 patients with 29 good result, 6 failures, and 2 perforations with 1 death. Retrosternal esophagoplasty using the transverse colon was performed in 95 cases with a 96.8% cure rate over a total follow-up period of 1 to 10 years, and 3 deaths. Overall mortality taking all categories together was 5.4%. The authors used these results as a basis for reviewing this condition, attempting to define as a basis for reviewing this condition, attempting to define the therapeutic methods successively used in the Guinea medico-social context.