[Esophageal injuries: diagnosis and treatment]

Abstract

The authors describe their experiences with treatment of 63 patients with penetrating damages of the esophagus. Suturing the esophagus wall with drainage of the zone of the injury and mediastinum was performed on 35 patients admitted to the hospital during the first day after injury. The rest of the patients underwent drainage of the injury zone, followed by gastrostomy and application of the nasogastral tube. Lethality was 29.6% and depended on the type of trauma, terms of the beginning of skilled medical treatment and the degree of the developed purulent complications.