ANTERIOR CERVICAL APPROACH FOR REPAIR OF LARYNGOTRACHEOESOPHAGEAL CLEFT

Laryngotracheoesophageal cleft is a very rare congenital malformation characterized by a long midline communication between the esophagus an d trachea extending from the larynx down the trachea for a variable di stance. The most common repair strategy involves separation of the tra chea and esophagus by a lateral approach via both a thoracotomy and a neck incision. The authors report a case of complete repair (without t horacotomy) via a neck incision through the anterior wall of the trach ea. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.