Equine cervical esophagostomy: complications associated with duration and location of feeding tubes

Cervical esophagostomy for tube feeding was evaluated in 11 ponies. Minor complications responded to supportive therapy in 8 ponies. Two died of complications, and 1 pony had a permanent fistula because of persistent infection. There was a positive correlation between the duration of tube feeding and the event of closure of the esophageal stoma after the tube was removed. There was no difference in the frequency of complications related to duration of tube feeding. When the distal end of the feeding tube was located in the thoracic portion of the esophagus, instead of in the stomach, tubes were more readily dislodged. Reinsertion of some tubes was difficult or impossible to do and resulted in false passage of the tube into the mediastinal space, dissecting infections into the thorax, or both. Reflux of food around the tube occurred in ponies with the distal end of the feeding tube located in the stomach, but this was not associated with other complications.