How to effectively repair esophageal fistulas, caused by esophageal perforation, rupture and anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy has always been a key problem for the digestive surgeon. Although there are many clinical treatment methods, the therapeutic effect is still completely unsatisfactory, especially when severe mediastinal purulent cavity infection is associated with the esophageal fistula. In recent years, foreign centers have promoted a new minimally invasive endoscopic treatment technology to repair the esophageal fistula, endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure therapy, with significantly curative effect. In this article, we will review the specific operation, advantages and disadvantages, as well as the clinical efficacy of endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure therapy in treating the esophageal fistulas, to provide a new therapeutic technique for esophageal fistulas and expand the new field of minimally invasive endoscopic therapy.
目的：探讨国产自膨式镍钛记忆合金食管支架在食管、贲门良恶性狭窄及食管瘘中的临床应用并观察疗效。方法:收集我院2005年11月～2008年8月采用胃镜辅助置入镍钛记忆合金食管支架的患者108例，其中男90例，女18例，年龄37~88岁；包括食管癌性狭窄41例，贲门癌性狭窄5例，放疗后狭窄1例，肺癌压迫致食管狭窄1例，食管、贲门癌术后吻合口顽固性狭窄21例，食管癌术后复发致狭窄6例，食管瘘33例。结果：108例患者共置入食管支架116枚，一次性置入成功率100%，置入后患者吞咽梗阻的症状有不同程度的改善，呛咳的症状基本消失。结论：食管支架置入操作简单、安全，成功率高，是治疗食管良恶性狭窄及封堵瘘口的有效方法。
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of fistula repair by stapler technique in patients with cervical tracheoesophageal fistula. Methods Retrospective analysis of 8 patients with cervical tracheoesophageal fistula who accepted operative treatment in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital from October 2014 to October 2016 was conducted. There were 5 males and 3 females at a mean age of 46.4±13.9 years ranging from 23 to 67 years. The fistula was induced by tracheal intubation in 4 patients, by esophageal foreign bodies in 2, by tracheal stent in 1 and by esophageal diverticulum in 1. The fistula was closed by stapler technique. The surgical effects were evaluated through Karnofsky performance score (KPS), image assessment, patient satisfaction score and assessment of improvement in feeding-induced bucking. Results The operations were performed successfully with time of 117.5±6.6 min and intraoperative blood loss of 60.0±7.0 ml. After the operations, the patients did not suffer incision bleeding and infection, hoarseness, dyspnea, drinking-induced bucking, fistula relapse, tracheoesophageal stenosis or any other complications, and no death occurred during the perioperative period. The chest X-ray test was performed 1 week later showed that the pulmonary infection disappeared, and only 1 patient suffered from esophageal stenosis 1 year later. The postoperative KPS score was 90.0±7.0 points, which significantly improved in contrast to preoperation (P<0.01). Postoperative pulmonary infection area reduced significantly (P<0.05), tracheoesophageal fistula disappeared, postoperative patients satisfaction rate was 90%, and assessment of feeding-induced bucking was excellent. Conclusion Using stapler technique to repair cervical tracheoesophageal fistula is safe, easy and useful, with less operation time and postoperative complications.