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In situ aortic allograft insertion to repair a primary aortoesophageal fistula due to thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Pirard L, Creemers E, Van Damme H, Laurent S, Honoré P, Limet R

Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Liège, Hôpital du Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium.

Aortoesophageal fistula due to thoracic aortic aneurysm is an uncommon cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and has an extremely poor prognosis. In the English literature, we found only 27 successfully managed cases of primary aortoesophageal fistula due to thoracic aortic aneurysm. We present a case of 74-year-old man who experienced the erosion of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm into the esophagus. We successfully performed resection and replacement of the thoracoabdominal aorta with a cryopreserved allograft and total thoracic esophagectomy. A few months later, the esophagus was reconstructed with orthotopic colonic interposition. The patient recovered well and resumed a normal life (12 months' follow-up).

Published 26 December 2005 in J Vasc Surg, 42(6): 1213-7.
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