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Aim: Assessment of surgical complications and options for their therapy following replacement of oesophagus by stomach. METHODOLOGY AND MATERIAL: A retrospective study of clinical and pathological data collected from 25 children, who underwent replacement procedures of their oesophagus by stomach during the 1992-2005 period. 18 subjects were indicated for the procedure for oesophageal atresia with large stubs distance and 7 subjects were indicated for extensive oesophageal strictures following acid burns., Results: The study group included 25 children whose mean age at the time of the procedure was 12.5 years (the age range 8 to 13.3 years). Early postoperatively, a fistule in the oesophageal anastomosis region was confirmed in 7 subjects (28%), however, in all cases it healed successfully on conservative management. In five cases (20%), a stricture in the pyloric region developed and in 4 cases it was managed using balloon dilation. During the long-term follow up period, oesophageal anastomosis strictures were diagnosed in 9 children (36%). The problem was managed using repetitive balloon dilations. One child was operated for ileus with adhesions and in one child, a nutritional jejunostomy had to be re-conducted. One girl exited at home, a year following the procedure, due to respiratory arrest on aspiration., Conclusions: Transposition of the stomach is a suitable method of choice for oesophageal replacement in childhood, providing good quality of life for majority of patients. Early and late surgical complications correspond with a degree of seriousness of the disorder and require treatment and long term follow up to be conducted in a specialized clinic.

Bezoars consist of swallowed foreign materials or indigestible organic matter and form a mass in gastrointestinal tract, usually in stomach. Trichobezoars are formed by swallowed hair, they are rare, and occur often in patients with psychiatric disorders. They may present with malabsorption, weight loss, abdominal pain, and signs of gastrointestinal obstruction or even perforation. Gastric trichobezoar with a tail reaching small intestine is called Rapunzel syndrom. Authors present a case of Rapunzel syndrome in a 13-year-old girl with only a short history of mild abdominal pain in who a gastric trichobezoar weighting 700g and measuring 24 x 16 x 10 cm was removed from laparotomy.

The authors present an account of their experience with oesophageal replacement by gastric transposition in 10 children during the period between November 1992 and January 1999. Indications for oesophageal replacement was in seven children atresia of the oesophagus at the age of 9-36 months and in three children (2.5, 3 and 14 years) a long stricture of the oesophagus after caustic injury which did not respond to balloon dilatation. Replacement after caustic injury was made in children aged 2.5, 3 and 14 years. In eight patients the replacement was made without thoracotomy, by blunt resection of the mediastinum, in two patients after caustic injury thoracotomy had to be performed. In three patients after surgery a temporary fistula developed at the site of anastomosis which healed spontaneously. Eight patients are in a satisfactory condition after surgery, one patient five months after operation swallows with difficulty, his birth weight was 1500 g. One female patient died one year after oesophageal replacement, apparently due to aspiration and respiratory arrest. Gastric transposition is a considerate and relatively simple method in child age. The functional results are favourable.