ANATOMY OF THE EXTRINSIC MOTOR-NERVE SUPPLY TO MOBILIZED SEGMENTS OF THE ESOPHAGUS DISRUPTED BY DISSECTION DURING REPAIR OF ESOPHAGEAL ATRESIA WITH DISTAL FISTULA

Atresia of the oesophagus occurs near to the site of convergence of th e foregut with structures of branchial arch origin. This is a confluen ce of a striated muscle tube with a somatic nerve supply and a smooth muscle tube with an autonomic nerve supply. The implications, with reg ard to function, of denervating the oesophagus during operation are in fluenced by this anatomy. During dissection of a cadaver with oesophag eal atresia and distal fistula, the sites of potential nerve injury we re displayed. Damage to these nerves occurs during routine primary rep air and may contribute to oesophageal motor dysfunction after successf ul surgery.