European journal of pediatric surgery : official journal of Austrian Association of Pediatric Surgery ... [et al] = Zeitschrift für Kinderchirurgie
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Thoracoscopy versus thoracotomy for esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula repair: review of the literature and meta-analysis.
The thoracoscopic approach to esophageal atresia (EA) with tracheoesophageal fistula (TOF) represents a challenging procedure whose real benefits remains unclear. Our purpose is to identify, through a meta-analysis, clinical evidence of the reliability of the thoracoscopic repair (TR) for EA/TOF compared with the open repair. ⋯ The effectiveness of the endoscopic technique for EA/TOF repair is indicated with outcomes not different from open surgery. A randomized controlled trial is needed in this field to indicate which procedure is superior, open or TR.