The early history of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula

The history of oesophageal atresia extends over three centuries and contains many fascinating accounts of the anomaly. Initially, these accounts described the clinical presentation and pathology, but as time passed, an increasing interest in the surgical management developed. The critical year was 1888, the year in which Charles Steele made the first surgical attempt at correction of the anomaly. Significant events in the understanding and management of oesophageal atresia before and after that date are summarized in Tables 1.1 and 1.2.