Gastroaortic fistula as an early complication of esophagectomy.

Molina-Navarro, C; Hosking, S W; Hayward, S J; Flowerdew, A D · Ann Thorac Surg · 2001

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

Gastroaortic fistula following esophagogastrectomy is an uncommon and invariably fatal complication without urgent surgical intervention. We report 1 such case and review the world literature identifying 22 previous cases. It characteristically presents 2 to 3 weeks after esophagogastrectomy with an initial herald bleed, followed by a latent period with a mean duration of 10 hours (range: 30 minutes to 3 days) and final exsanguination. Only 1 patient in this series survived. Awareness is necessary to allow prompt diagnosis and treatment of this almost invariably lethal but curable condition.

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