Narrowing of an oesophageal anastomosis as it heals is relatively common. This is called a stricture.
Stricturing can occur for lots of reasons including:
A baby with a stricture will struggle to swallow, particularly when weaning onto solid food, as food gets stuck above the narrow part of the oesophagus. Most serious strictures develop during the first few weeks of life.
Treatment involves dilating (stretching) the stricture under a general anaesthetic. There are various ways of doing this.
A popular way involves inflating a balloon catheter across the anastomosis. This procedure may have to be repeated a number of times.
Recurrent or persistent strictures are often related to gastro-oesophageal reflux and not infrequently an anti-reflux operation called a fundoplication becomes necessary.
Published by TOFS, The TOF Book is the must have guide for anyone affected by, or caring for someone with OA/TOF.
With contributions from medical experts, the TOF Book contains chapters on every aspect of OA/TOF and VACTERL condition, from infancy to adulthood all presented in an easy-to-understand format.
