Current Indications of Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Perforations

At present, the development of minimally invasive techniques, whether surgical, endoscopic or radiological, can legitimately question the merits of systematic open surgical approach in the treatment of esophageal perforations. This paradigm shift is supported by similar results to those of open surgery in terms of survival, esophageal preservation rate and duration of hospitalization, reported by pioneer teams in the non-surgical treatment of esophageal perforations. Open surgery keeps a place of choice for primary indication of esophagectomy or after conservative treatment failure. In the medium term, it can take an active role in this minimally invasive strategy as a vehicle for new therapies such as tissue engineering.