EN
TÜRKÇE
Oral Presentation - 14
Disc batteries in the esophagus in children: fire in the hole!
S Hancıoğlu, B Dağdemir Ezber, B Yağız, BD Demirel
Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Samsun, Turkey
Aim: Complications of the disc batteries impacted in the esophagus may be life-threatening. They should be extracted immediately when recognized. Our aim is to evaluate the patients who were admitted with disc batteries impacted in the esophagus.
Methods: The patient who were admitted to a single tertiary center with ingestion of disc batteries are included in the study. The patients were excluded if the battery is demonstrated to pass the esophagus at admittance. Age, gender, duration after battery ingestion to extraction, location of the battery, orientation of negative pole of the battery, intraoperative and postoperative complications were retrospectively evaluated.
Results: Eighteen patients (10 boys, 8 girls) are enrolled with a mean age of 3.7 years (1-8 years). Battery was at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd narrowing in 9, 6 and 3 patients, respectively. The median duration after battery ingestion was 8 hours (2-48). No intraoperative complication was encountered during extraction of batteries at the 1st narrowing, but a stricture develepped in1 patient and TEF in another. No peroperative complication or morbidity was encountered in patients with battery at the 2nd narrowing. However, close clinical and radiological follow up was performed in 4 patients in whom the negative pole of the battery was facing posterior esophagus with the fear of deadly aorto-esophageal fistula complication. An esophagus tamponade balloon was provided ready at the bedside for urgent intervention in case of aorto-esophageal fistula. Pneumothorax developped in 1 patient during extraction of the battery at the 3rd narrowing and managed successfully with tube thoracostomy.
Conclusion: Batteries stuck in the esophagus can be life-threatening and should be removed immediately once recognized. Adjacent organs where the negative pole of the battery faces are at significant risk for complications and aorto-esophageal fistula is the deadly one that we are aware but gratefully haven’t experienced yet.