Esophageal patching for an unsuturable tracheoesophageal fistula

We herein report a case of unsuturable tracheoesophageal fistula developed after chemotherapy of a mediastinal lymphoma. Esophageal exclusion was prim ary performed to prevent continued contamination of the respiratory tract. In a second stage procedure the fistula was patched with the esophageal pos terior wall and the digestive tract was restored by a substernal colic bypa ss. This case leads to discuss the management of extrinsic tumoral tracheal compression and reminds us of an old reported procedure for the cure of la rge tracheoesophageal fistula, (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.