Colon-patch oesophagoplasty

Colon-patch oesophagoplasty has been tried experimentally and used clinically to treat benign strictures of the oesophagus in children. However, reports are few. We advocate this operation and report on two cases where this technique was employed for caustic stricture using a vascularized colon patch avoiding the need for oesophageal substitution. This procedure has its immediate and late complications but after a long follow-up we are satisfied with our results. Patching is a useful alternative to substitution for limited benign strictures of oesophagus in children.