Thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula: anesthetic and intensive care management of a series of eight neonates

Advances in minimally invasive techniques have made pediatric laparoscopic surgery commonplace. Thoracoscopic surgery in children however is still performed in only a few centers throughout the world. Between July 2001 and January 2004, the first eight esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula repairs were performed thoracoscopically at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. This article presents their anesthetic management, their postoperative management in the pediatric intensive care unit and reviews the complications seen in both the intraoperative and postoperative periods. Finally we discuss how our experience to date influences our perioperative management of these challenging cases.