Surgical treatment for corrosive esophageal strictures (in memory of Academician A.F. Chernousov)

Objective. To analyze own clinical experience in surgical treatment of corrosive esophageal strictures. Material and methods. We analyzed treatment outcomes in 91 patients with corrosive esophageal strictures, who underwent treatment between 2007 and 2025. The study included patients older 18 years with chemical, thermal or radiation-induced burns. Patients were divided into two groups: the first group — 43 patients with short strictures (≤3 cm); the second group — 48 patients with long strictures (>3 cm). Mean age of patients was 44±16.3 years, male-to-female ratio — 48% and 52%, respectively. Period between burn injury and surgical care differed between groups. This value was more than 6 months in 68.8% of patients in the second group. Results. Organ-sparing methods (bougienage, balloon dilation) showed high effectiveness in 82% of patients with short strictures of acid etiology and in 64% of those with strictures after alkali ingestion. In 5 (11.6%) out of 43 patients in the first group, organ-sparing treatment was ineffective, and they underwent reconstructive surgery. In the group with long strictures, 52% of patients required radical surgery due to low effectiveness of bougienage and balloon dilation, especially in case of alkali burn. Postoperative complications were observed in 2 out of 5 cases in the first group and in 8 out of 26 patients in the second group without significant differences between etiological groups. Conclusion. Our data emphasize the role of individual approach and early patient referral to improve treatment outcomes for corrosive esophageal strictures.