Controversies and Contentious Issues in Thoracoscopic Approach for Repair of Esophageal Atresia

Thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia is two-and-a-half-decade-old procedure. Surgeons have challenged this complex procedure’s limits and gradually evolved, with more and more attempts being made in complicated scenarios. The growing evidence presented in the previous chapter has proven that thoracoscopic repair is comparable to conventional open repair and has similar success and complication rates. There is a complex interplay between the thoracoscopic intervention and the complex anatomy of esophageal atresia, which gets even more complicated by neonates’ small size, emergency intervention, and anesthesia. Literature has deliberated over this complex interplay, and the best strategy for the neonate is yet to be established. This chapter discusses various factors associated with esophageal atresia, which can complicate and affect outcomes, and discusses the association and whether TREAT can be safely done in these conditions.