Kazunori Yoshida

Surgical treatment of five patients with aortobronchial fistula in the aortic arch

Aortobronchial fistula (ABF) is a rare condition that is almost always fatal in the absence of prompt and proper treatment. However, treatment remains challenging, particularly in the aortic arch. We present six operations for 5 such patients, in which no in-hospital deaths occurred. One patient with mycotic aneurysm died suddenly 10 months postoperatively. Another patient required reoperation 5-months after operation due to additional ABF. No pseudoaneurysms or graft-related complications were observed in the remaining patients. In patients with ABF, performance of operations as soon as possible after onset and minimal dissection of adherent lung tissue appear to improve outcomes.

Successful repair of an aortoesophageal fistula caused by a thoracic aortic aneurysm: Report of a case

Aortoesophageal fistula occurring as a complication of a thoracic aortic aneurysm is difficult to repair because of the contaminated surgical field. We report the case of a 67-year-old man in whom an aortoesophageal fistula developed secondary to a dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm. We performed in situ graft repair of the aneurysm, then covered the site with omentum and resected the esophagus to prevent graft infection. About 5 months later, the esophagus was reconstructed subcutaneously using an ascending colon pedicle. The patient recovered well and has resumed leading a normal life.