The life-saving emergency thoracic endovascular aorta repair management on suspected aortoesophageal foreign body injury

BACKGROUND:Fatal aortic rupture caused by esophageal foreign body(EFB),is associated with a high mortality,but can be prevented by thoracic endovascular aorta repair(TEVAR)that performed increasingly as technology improves.This study aims to investigate the cause,management and prognosis of suspected penetrating aortoesophageal foreign body injury.METHODS:Twelve cases who met the criteria were enrolled in this study.The demographic and clinical data were reviewed for evaluating the characteristics of EFB.RESULTS:Among 12 cases enrolled,7 were males and 5 were females,with an age 27–86 years.The distance of EFB from aorta(DFA)of 7 cases were less than or equal to 0 mm,5 cases were 0–2 mm.Eleven cases were managed with TEVAR,only one case was with open surgery standby but finally treated by flexible endoscopy(FE)successfully,without TEVAR.In group with TEVAR,EFB of 7 cases were successfully removed by rigid endoscopy(RE),and one of them was failed at the first RE treatment.EFB of 2 cases were successfully removed by open surgery with TEVAR,and other 9 cases were managed by endoscopies with TEVAR.The mean length of stay of hospitalization(LOS)and length of ICU stay of patients treated by open surgery with TEVAR(18.50±2.12 days and 5.50±0.71 days)was significantly longer than those of patients treated by endoscopy with TEVAR(7.00±2.74 days and 1.33±1.12 days,P<0.001 and P=0.001,respectively).Five cases had severe complications.CONCLUSION:Rational application of TEVAR can be a life-saving management for aortoesophageal foreign body injury,and jointed with endoscopy is safe and effective with a shorter length of ICU or total hospital stay.