The application of vascular technology to esophageal and airway strictures.

Background/purpose: Strictures of the esophagus and airway tract can be dilated if the strictures can be traversed and dilators passed. Unfortunately, using standard methods, not all strictures can be traversed. The authors set out to find a safe, expeditious, and reproducible way to traverse otherwise impassable strictures of the esophagus and airway.

Methods: Eight patients (n = 8), over a 2-year period, with strictures were entered prospectively into the study. One patient (n = 1) had a main stem bronchial stricture, and 7 patients (n = 7) had esophageal strictures from the following etiologies: esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) repair, Lye ingestion (n = 2), EA/TEF with gastroesophageal reflux, esophageal atresia without fistula, lye ingestion with colon interposition (n = 2), and iron pill inhalation lodged in left main bronchus. None of the strictures could be passed with conventional maneuvers or instrumentation including endoscopy, guide wires, Fogarty catheters, and filliform and followers. Results of barium studies showed no flow into the stomach. In the bronchial case, no lumen could be identified at bronchoscopy.

Results: Utilizing the "Vascular Surgery Glidewire/Berenstein Catheter System" under fluoroscopy and utilizing the "spinning top" dynamic maneuver intrinsic to this system, all of the strictures were traversed easily. The passage of the wire/catheter system thus allowed sequential dilation of the previously impassable strictures. The mean time to cross the strictures with the wire/catheter system was 1 minute, 10 seconds. (t = 70 seconds). All of the procedures were done in the operating room under general endotracheal anesthesia by the same 2 attending pediatric surgeons.

Conclusions: The use of vascular surgical technology in difficult, otherwise impassable strictures of the esophagus and upper airway proved to be an extremely effective, easy-to-perform, and reproducible method of therapy. This procedure may obviate the need for resectional surgery in this setting.