Muhammad Shafi, Zahid Suhail, Alid Ashrafi S Khalid.
Rigid Esophagoscopy - Indications and Complications at Tertiary Care Hospitals of Urban Sindh.
Pak J Otolaryngol Jan ;30(2):44-6.

OBJECTIVE: Aim of the study was to tabulate the indications and identify the various complications of rigid esophagoscopy at tertiary care level hospitals of urban Sindh. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at the departments of E.N.T. & Head Neck surgery, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Karachi for a period of one year from July 2012 to June 2013. Out of 234 patients requiring esophagoscopy, rigid esophagoscopy was done in 221 patients of both genders and all age groups either in emergency situation or as an elective procedure, both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. All the patients were registered with a definitive protocol filling a pre-designed performa. RESULTS: Out of 234 patients, 221 patients were selected for the study. Males were 124(56.1%) and 97 (43.9%) were females. The age range was 2-70 years. Most of the patients 103(46.6%) were in the age group 1-10 years. Maximum 149(67.4%) patients were admitted through emergency. The commonest indication was foreign body in147 (66.5%) patients, followed by esophageal carcinoma in 38(17.2%) patients. The overall complications were 9(4.1%) including one mortality, one perforation in cervical esophagus and seven minor lacerations of esophageal mucosa. CONCLUSION: Suffice is to say that ‘Rigid Esophagoscopy’ is a time-tested procedure which is utilized safely and effectively both for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. Globally, the documented indications are not exactly the same due to different ecological and cultural norms. The complication rates usually correlate with the conduciveness of the environment during the procedure and experience of the surgeon.

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