Long-term outcomes of patients undergoing emergency surgery for corrosive injury of the upper digestive tract.

Abstract

Purpose: Emergency surgery can save patients' lives in cases of severe caustic injury. However, the long-term outcomes are not well understood.

Methods: Patients who underwent emergency organ resection for severe corrosive acid injury were included. Subsequently, digestive tract reconstruction was performed to fit patients. Long-term outcomes were analyzed.

Results: Fifty patients underwent emergency digestive tract resection. The operative mortality rate was 6% (of 3/50). One of the 50 patients underwent successful immediate reconstruction. Of the 46 survivors with digestive tract discontinuity, 32 (70%) underwent subsequent reconstructive surgery, 10 (22%) died while awaiting reconstruction due to deterioration in their psychiatric and nutritional status, and 4 (9%) were unfit for reconstructive surgery. No operative mortality occurred during reconstruction. Among the 32 patients who underwent reconstruction, 30 (94%) achieved nutritional autonomy. Nutritional independence was achieved in 62% of the patients (31/50). At a median duration of 58 months, the median survival time of the 50 patients was 158 months. Patients who underwent reconstruction had a significantly better overall survival than those who did not (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Emergency surgery remains the standard treatment for corrosive ingestion of complicated digestive tract injuries. However, only 60% of survivors can undergo subsequent digestive reconstruction and achieve long-term nutritional autonomy and a survival outcome.