Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42021024›Full record

ArticleAnnals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia2026

Fatal Aortoesophageal Fistula after Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.

Lianzheng Zhao, Zhen Zhang, Huijiang Gao, Guodong Shi, Jiangshan Ai, Yucheng Wei

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Article in Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lianzheng ZhaoDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Zhen ZhangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Huijiang GaoDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Guodong ShiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Jiangshan AiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yucheng WeiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAortoesophageal fistula (AEF) after esophagectomy is a rare but catastrophic complication, often occurring after anastomotic leakage and mediastinal contamination. Evidence regarding fatal trajectories and rescue failure points remains limited.

methodsWe performed a retrospective, single-center study among esophageal cancer patients who developed AEF after esophagectomy between 2013 and 2024. Cases were identified from institutional databases and mortality records, followed by manual screening. Clinical course, antecedent complications, diagnostic workup, rescue interventions, and causes of death were summarized descriptively.

resultsAmong 5543 esophagectomies, 17 patients (0.31%) developed AEF: 16 fatal (94.1%) and 1 survivor (5.9%). All were male, median age 63 years. Anastomotic leak occurred in 16 patients (94.1%), all with mediastinal infection. Sentinel bleeding preceded hemorrhage in 14 patients (82.4%); the median interval to fatal hemorrhage was 1 day.

conclusionsPost-esophagectomy AEF is highly lethal. Sentinel bleeding represents a critical intervention window. Prompt recognition and multidisciplinary escalation may enable survival even in high-risk patients.

Indexed as

Anastomotic LeakAortic DiseasesEsophageal FistulaEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophagectomyVascular FistulaAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsTime FactorsTreatment Outcomeanastomotic leakaortoesophageal fistulaesophageal canceresophagectomymassive hemorrhage

Identifiers

PMID42021024
PMCPMC13110882

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