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Esophageal perforation
Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of esophageal perforation are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES 2019).
1
Diagnostic investigations
CT: as per WSES 2019 guidelines, obtain contrast-enhanced CT and CT esophagography as the imaging modality of choice in patients with suspected esophageal perforation.
B
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Laboratory tests
Diagnostic procedures
Medical management
Nonoperative management: as per WSES 2019 guidelines, consider non-surgical management of esophageal perforation in stable patients with early presentation, contained esophageal disruption, and minimal contamination of surrounding spaces if highly specialized surveillance is available.
B
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Antibiotics
PPIs
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Therapeutic procedures
Therapeutic endoscopy
As per WSES 2019 guidelines:
Perform endoscopic treatment for closing esophageal perforation that occur and are recognized during an endoscopic procedure.
B
Consider endoscopy as first-line therapy in patients with late presentation and in patients with non-endoscopic esophageal perforation.
C
Surgical interventions
Indications for surgery: as per WSES 2019 guidelines, proceed with surgery in all patients who do not meet the criteria for non-surgical management:
delay in the management of < 24 hours
absence of symptoms and signs of sepsis
cervical or thoracic location of the esophageal perforation
contained perforation by surrounding tissues (intramural; minimal peri-esophageal extravasation of contrast material with intra-esophageal drainage; absence of massive pleural contamination)
no preexistent esophageal disease
possibility of close surveillance by expert esophageal team
availability of surgical and radiological skills all day and all night.
B
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