20.04.2026 21:42
A rare congenital disorder was successfully treated in Diyarbakır. A baby born with a closed esophagus regained health thanks to early diagnosis and prompt intervention.
A health problem that occurs once in 5,000 births was experienced at a private hospital in Diyarbakır. Noticing that the newborn baby's esophagus was closed, pediatric surgeon Op. Dr. Taner Kamacı immediately took the baby into surgery and restored its health.
“THE UPPER PART WAS CLOSED, THE LOWER PART HAD ENTERED THE TRACHEA” Dr. Kamacı stated that the patient was born with a closed esophagus. Op. Dr. Kamacı said, "Our patient was born with a condition we call 'esophageal atresia.' He is a 38-week-old baby weighing 3,070 grams, born on time. All newborns are checked for a closed esophagus by inserting a tube into their stomachs. During the examination of this patient, it was reported to us that the tube could not pass into the stomach and the baby was unable to swallow his saliva. When we saw the patient, we could not advance the tube, and in the X-rays we took, we saw that our baby's esophagus was congenitally closed and diagnosed it as esophageal atresia. The closure of the esophagus is one of the rare and severe congenital anomalies seen in approximately 1 in 5,000 births. It is a serious condition. Although there are different types, the most common type is the fistula type atresia, where the upper end of the esophagus ends blindly and the lower end enters the trachea from the stomach. Thus, the two ends of the esophagus do not connect with each other. Our patient had this type as well. That is, the upper part was closed, and the lower part had entered the trachea," he said.
“OUR BABY RECOVERED WITH A SURGERY OF ABOUT 4 HOURS” After determining the condition, Kamacı explained that he spoke with the family and obtained their consent before taking the baby into surgery, using the following statements: “In the surgery we performed, we separated the lower end of the esophagus that came from the stomach and entered the trachea, and by freeing the upper end, we completed the surgery by anastomosing the two ends together. This surgery was performed through an incision made from the chest area, close to the back. It was a successful surgery. Our baby recovered with a surgery of about 4 hours. After the surgery, we took our patient to intensive care, and there was a challenging intensive care process lasting about a month. With the support of our intensive care doctors and nurses, we successfully completed this process as well. Then we discharged our patient in a way that he could be fed orally, with healing. Currently, our patient came for a check-up today. Everything is fine in the check-up. Our baby is healthy. From now on, we wish him a healthy and long life.”
“THE BABY WAS TAKEN FOR ASPIRATION DUE TO RESPIRATORY DISTRESS BEFORE BEING SEEN” Mother Nazlıcan Çavdar stated that they had suspicions during the pregnancy, but because the stomach structure was very normal and it had a fistula, it was not clearly understood in the womb. Çavdar said, "This is a very rare situation. That’s why it is very difficult to notice it in the womb. We also did not notice it. There were suspicions, but since it was said that the stomach structure was normal, the possibility was eliminated. After birth, before we could see the baby, it was noticed that he was experiencing respiratory distress and was taken for aspiration. When I woke up, my husband had received the news. This was a huge shock for me because we were not expecting it. We had completely ruled it out. It was a risky surgery, lasting about 5 hours. Even if the surgery went well, there was a possibility that the child could not handle the anesthesia. This was like a nightmare for me, and I was in shock. The process is not something I remember very clearly. But our biggest luck was Dr. Taner. He is one of the best in his field, perhaps the best, I don’t know. We researched later. We couldn’t do much during that process, but considering the complications of the birth, I tried to choose a good hospital for a healthy process. And it turned out that way. With the right place, the right intervention, and the right timing, thankfully, no problems occurred. Our baby was discharged in a healthy condition. Currently, there are no health problems. There are challenges brought by the process, and they will continue for a while longer," she said.