Impact of preoperative diagnosis of congenital heart disease on the treatment of esophageal atresia

Congenital heart disease (CHD) has a major impact on the survival of babies with esophageal atresia (EA). The present study assesses whether early diagnosis influences the management strategies in a large series of EA. Cases of EA treated between 1982 and 2002 were retrospectively divided into groups according to the presence or absence of CHD and to whether this was diagnosed or not prior to tracheo-esophageal fistula repair. Patients were also staged according to Spitz's classification in which major congenital heart disease (MCHD) are those associated with cyanosis and/or heart failure requiring surgery. Comparisons between groups of patients were made by standard statistical tests. Among 195 babies with EA (99 boys and 96 girls), 82 (42%) had CHD (31 boys, 39% and 51 girls, 61%, chi2 P0.05) and 43 out of these 82 (52%) had MCHD. Six children died without treatment. CHD was diagnosed prenatally in six cases and before EA repair in 26 cases. The diagnoses were missed in 12 instances (in five it was a MCHD). Regardless of preoperative diagnosis of right aortic arch in 3/6 cases, the oesophagus was approached from the right thorax in all cases and only in one of them the operation was not completed due to hemodynamic instability. There were 145/195 (75%) Spitz group I patients; 44/195 (22%) were group II and 6/195 (3%) group III. The mortality was respectively 9.5, 59 and 83%. We lost 15/113 (13%) babies with EA without CHD, 4/39 (10.2%) with EA and CHD and 26/43 (60%) with EA and MCHD. In children with CHD diagnosed prior to the esophageal operation 8/26 (30.7%) died and among those without diagnoses 3/12 (25%) died, (chi2 P0.1). 1. CHD was diagnosed after EA repair in one-third of cases. 2. Preoperative diagnosis of CHD changed the operative indication only in one case. 3. Survival after treatment for EA was not influenced by the moment or the accuracy of the diagnosis of CHD in this series. 4. With only a few exceptions, associated CHD should not change the strategies of EA repair.