Sejkovs'kyj O. Treatment of combined tracheo-esophageal diseases and damages.

The thesis was initiated to the problem of elevation of diagnostics and treatment effectiveness in patients with combined nonneoplastic diseases of trachea and esophagus and tracheo-esophageal damages. The work is based on the treatment results of 50 patients with cicatrical tracheal stenoses involving esophageal wall, tracheo-esophageal fistulas, combined tracheo-esophageal damages. The authors ascertained the effectiveness of different diagnostic methods and demonstrated the advantages and disadvantages of every method. It's validated, that preference in treatment of patients with tracheo-esophageal diseases and damages must be given to one-stage surgical reparative organ-saving procedure, aimed at the restoration of normal function of the organ. Palliative procedures as tracheostomy and gastrostomy should only be used in extraordinary cases, when curative treatment could not be realized. The disadvantages, complications and complexity of further radical treatment after such procedures are demonstrated. In case of combination of tracheal stenosis with tracheo-esophageal fistula the authors recommend for the purpose of one-stage abolition of the process as a choice procedure resection of scarry modified part of trachea and esophageal wall defect plasty with tracheal membrane flaps.