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Hong Kwan Kim
Yong Soo Choi
Kwhanmien Kim
Jhingook Kim
Young Mog Shim
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Right arrow Trachea and bronchi

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:411-414
© 2007 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

General Thoracic Surgery

Long-term results of surgical treatment in benign bronchoesophageal fistula

Hong Kwan Kim, MD, Yong Soo Choi, MD, Kwhanmien Kim, MD, Jhingook Kim, MD, Young Mog Shim, MD*

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Received for publication December 31, 2006; revisions received March 6, 2007; accepted for publication April 11, 2007.

* Address for reprints: Yong Mog Shim, MD, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, 50 Ilwon-Dong, Gangnam gu, Seoul 135-710, Republic of Korea. (Email: ymshim{at}smc.samsung.co.kr).

Objectives: Benign bronchoesophageal fistula is a rare complication resulting from various diseases. The objectives of the study are to report our surgical experience in patients with benign bronchoesophageal fistulas and to evaluate the long-term results of surgical management.

Methods: Between 1995 and 2005, a total of 14 patients (mean age, 52.5 years; male/female = 6:8) underwent operations for benign bronchoesophageal fistulas. The etiology of the fistulas included traction esophageal diverticula in 7 patients and tuberculous lymphadenopathy in 6. Primary repair of the fistula was performed in all patients and a concomitant lobectomy in 6.

Results: There was no in-hospital mortality. Postoperative complications occurred in 1 patient (empyema resulting from a leakage at the repair site). Postoperative esophagography revealed a leakage at the repair site in 1 patient. There was 1 late death with a mean follow-up of 43.9 months. The cause of death was aspiration pneumonia resulting from recurrent fistula. Two of 8 patients who did not undergo a lobectomy had persistent bronchiectasis, whereas none of those who underwent a concomitant lobectomy had any recurrent pneumonia or bronchiectasis. The overall survival was 100% at 5 years and the mean survival time was 124 months (95% confidence interval, 106.5-142.2 months).

Conclusions: We conclude from these data that early detection and definitive surgical repair of benign bronchoesophageal fistulas can yield high success rates with excellent early outcomes and good long-term results.

Abbreviations and Acronyms BEF = bronchoesophageal fistula






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