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Unexpected complication of oesophagoscopy: iatrogenic aortic injury in a child
Orhan Tezcan1, Menduh Oruc2, Mahir Kuyumcu3
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medical School of Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Insights
Oesophagoscopy for foreign body removal can cause rare but serious aortic injury. Prompt surgical repair is crucial for successful outcomes in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Oesophagoscopy is a common procedure for foreign body removal.
- While generally safe, unexpected complications can arise during oesophagoscopy.
- Iatrogenic aortic injury is a rare but severe complication associated with this procedure.
Observation:
- A six-year-old male presented with symptoms of foreign body ingestion.
- During oesophagoscopy, profuse bleeding occurred, necessitating balloon tamponade.
- Thoracic contrast tomography confirmed a thoracic aortic injury.
Findings:
- The patient underwent immediate open surgical aortic repair.
- The oesophageal injury was primarily repaired concurrently.
- The patient achieved a full recovery and was discharged on postoperative day 15.
Implications:
- Oesophagoscopy carries a risk of fatal complications, including aortic injury.
- Management of such complications requires specialized surgical expertise.
- Procedures should be performed in advanced medical centers equipped to handle emergencies.
Introduction:
Oesophagoscopy is usually a safe procedure to localise and remove ingested foreign bodies, however, unexpected complications may develop during this procedure. In this case report we discuss iatrogenic aortic injury, which developed during oesophagoscopy, and its immediate treatment.
Case Report:
A six-year-old male patient was admitted to hospital with symptoms of having ingested a foreign body. Oesophagoscopy was carried out and the foreign body was visualised at the second constriction of the oesophagus. During this procedure, profuse bleeding occurred. Subsequently, a balloon dilator was placed to control bleeding in the oesophagus. Thoracic contrast tomography revealed thoracic aortic injury. Open surgical aortic repair was immediately carried out on the patient and the oesophageal hole was primarily repaired. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 15 with a total cure.
Conclusion:
Although oesophagoscopy is a safe, easily applied method, it should be kept in mind that fatal complications may occur during the procedure. This procedure should be done in high-level medical centres, which have extra facilities for managing complications.
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