Thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with a distal fistula - lessons from the first 10 operations.

Introduction: Thoracoscopic esophageal atresia (EA) repair was first performed in 1999, but still the technique is treated as one of the most complex pediatric surgical procedures.

Aim: The study presents a single-center experience and learning curve of thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal (distal) fistula.

Material And Methods: From 2012 to 2014, 10 consecutive patients with esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula were treated thoracoscopically in our center.