The results of the esophageal atresia treatment in Far Eastern Federal District, Russian Federation

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the structure of morbidity and the results of treatment of children with EA in the Far Eastern Federal District.
Methods: The retrospective analysis of the annual reports of pediatric surgeons of all 11 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. Total 46 children with EA were born from 2019 to 2021, 1 child died because of severe comorbidity before surgery, 1 was operated in Moscow. 44 children having A, B, C, D types of EA by Gross were treated by regional surgeons.
Results: 64% of children were boys and 36% - girls, half of the children were born prematurely, every fourth was fed before getting diagnosis. The most common form was EA with lower tracheoesophageal fistula (93%). Combined malformations were found in 60% of cases, the most frequent was cardiac anomaly. Anastomosis was applied in 86% of operated, the rest underwent staged procedures. 81% are alive after applying anastomosis, 33% after coloesophageal replacement. Thoracoscopic AP treatment is widely used in regions having much higher population density than the Far East, but there is a tendency to improve this indicator. As for our district, there are several ways to improve surgical care: concentration of patients of the same profile in one or two regional centers or involvement of leading Russian specialists in providing high-tech medical care.
Conclusions: The peculiarities of the logistics of the region lead to the idea of creating a single Far Eastern multidisciplinary surgical center providing counseling, transportation, diagnostics and treatment of patients with congenital malformations at the modern level.

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