Patients and methods
Azygos vein preservation, long-gap esophageal atresia, atresia, TEF
GROUP B, POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS
This prospective comparative series was conducted at Al-Azhar University Hospitals to assess the technical feasibility and surgical outcomes of EA–TEF repair, with or without Azygos vein preservation, in newborns diagnosed with EA–TEF between April 2020 and April 2023. This study included a series of cases who were eligible for the primary repair of EA–TEF. Patients with long-gap esophageal atresia (> 3 cm) or atresia without TEF were excluded from the study because of the significant impact of long gaps on postoperative complications. Using the sealed, closed envelope method, patients were randomly assigned to one of the two groups. All eligible patients who underwent EA–TEF repair with Azygos vein preservation were included in Group A (32 cases), whereas those who underwent EA–TEF repair with Azygos vein ligation and disconnection were included in Group B (32 cases). This study followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of our university (Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University). Before the surgery, the patient’s legal representative signed an informed consent form. The study was registered in the Clinical Trial Registry. Numbered as (NCT05957562).