Endoscopic mgmt of esophageal perforation performed

Udupi: Kasturba Hospital in Manipal has made a significant advancement in the treatment of esophageal perforation. Recently, an elderly patient was admitted to the medical gastroenterology unit with a critical condition—an esophageal perforation—resulting in right-sided hydropneumothorax.
Upon admission, initial imaging confirmed the diagnosis, revealing a right-sided hydropneumothorax secondary to the esophageal perforation. The medical team, led by Dr Shiran Shetty, assessed the patient's condition swiftly. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed, which revealed a large mid-esophageal perforation.
Given the patient's poor functional status, traditional surgical intervention was ruled out. Instead, the team adopted an innovative approach, placing a fully covered metal stent over the perforation site, and inserting an intercostal drainage (ICD) to address the hydropneumothorax. This initial strategy aimed to stabilise the patient and manage the complications associated with the perforation.
Following this, the patient received four sessions of endovac therapy, which led to significant improvement. Building on this success, the team introduced the X-TACK Endoscopic HeliX Tacking System for defect closure.
Dr Ganesh Bhat, professor and head of the department of gastroenterology and hepatology, commended the collective efforts of Dr Shiran Shetty and his team, including Dr Balaji, Dr Sujay Prabhath, Dr Praveen, Dr Abhay, Dr Sriman, Dr Sachin (anaesthesia), and Dr Sweta.