What is EA surgery?

What is EA surgery?

Tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia repair is surgery to repair two birth defects in the esophagus and trachea. The defects usually occur together.

How is EA TEF diagnosed?

The diagnosis of EA/TEF is confirmed by attempting to pass a nasogastric tube (a tube that runs from the nose to the stomach via the esophagus) down the throat of infants who have require excessive suction of mucus, or are born to mothers with polyhydramnios, or, if earlier signs are missed have difficulty feeding.

Is esophageal atresia life threatening?

Esophageal atresia can be life-threatening, so the baby has to be treated quickly. Doctors perform surgery to connect the esophagus to the stomach in babies with this condition.

What is EA and TEF?

Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a condition resulting from abnormal development before birth of the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach (the esophagus ).

How common is EA?

Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a rare birth defect occurring in 1 in 2,500-4,000 babies where the esophagus fails to properly connect the mouth to the stomach.

Is TEF a birth defect?

TEF/EA is one of the most common gastrointestinal birth defects. It has a slightly higher incidence in males than females. The incidence rate of TEF/EA is approximately 1 in 4,000 live births. Of the babies born with TEF/EA, approximately 50 percent will have an associated birth defect.

How do you feed a baby with a TEF?

Key points

1. Your child might find it difficult to swallow food and liquids after EA/TEF repair.
2. You can help your child by serving foods with dressings or sauces, letting your child take sips of liquid after every two or three bites, cutting food into small pieces and scheduling five or six small meals during the day.

What are the symptoms of tracheoesophageal fistula?

What are the symptoms of TE fistula or esophageal atresia?

• Frothy, white bubbles in the mouth.
• Coughing or choking when feeding.
• Vomiting.
• Blue color of the skin, especially when the baby is feeding.
• Trouble breathing.
• Very round, full stomach.

What is a TEF baby?

A tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is an abnormal connection between these two tubes. As a result, swallowed liquids or food can be aspirated (inhaled) into your child’s lungs. Feeding into the stomach directly can also lead to reflux and aspiration of stomach acid and food.

Is TEF curable?

For TEF, the primary goal of therapy is closure of fistula between digestive and respiratory fistulas. Most of the fistula cannot be approached surgically. Moreover, medication treatment is unable to cure the disease. The therapy of TEF is always a challenge in medicine.

What is a TEF?

Can esophageal atresia be cured?

How we care for esophageal atresia. Although EA can be life-threatening in its most severe forms and could cause long-term nutritional concerns, the majority of children fully recover if it’s detected early. The best treatment for EA is usually surgery to reconnect the two ends of the baby’s esophagus to each other.

What does EA / TEF stand for in medical terms?

EA/TEF stands for Esophageal Atresia/Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula (outside of the US, it is called OA/TOF–Oesophageal Atresia/Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula). The exact numbers are not known, but it is a rare congenital birth defect which affects approximately 1 in 2,500 to 3,500 babies.

Which is the rarest form of EA / TEF?

Type D (0.7%): Esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, in which both segments of the esophagus are attached to the trachea. This is the rarest form of EA/TEF. Type E (also called Type H) (4.2%): Tracheoesophageal fistula in which there is no esophageal atresia because the esophagus is continuous to the stomach.

How is EA / TEF a life threatening condition?

EA/TEF is a life-threatening condition; affected babies generally require surgery to correct the malformation in order to allow feeding and prevent lung damage from repeated exposure to esophageal fluids. EA/TEF occurs alone (isolated EA/TEF) in about 40 percent of affected individuals.

How many people are born with EA / TEF?

For example, approximately 10 percent of people with CHARGE syndrome, which is usually caused by mutations in the CHD7 gene, have EA/TEF. About 25 percent of individuals with the chromosomal abnormality trisomy 18 are born with EA/TEF. EA/TEF also occurs in VACTERL association, a multifactorial condition.