Esophageal Perforation Etiologies, Management, and Outcomes at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center

Background: Esophageal perforations can occur spontaneously, but most are iatrogenic and related to procedures. The literature reports death rates from 10% to 26%. Our goals were to summarize demographics, comorbidities, managing services, perforation sites, outcomes, and complications of esophageal perforations at a tertiary academic medical center. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review. ICD and CPT codes were used to identify 89 subjects who experienced esophageal perforation from 2008 to 2020. Patients under age 18 were excluded from the study. Results: Patients diagnosed with esophageal perforation averaged 67 years. Perforations affected more males than females. Most perforations were contained and referred from outside hospitals. Thoracic esophageal perforations predominated followed by cervical and abdominal. Iatrogenic causes were identified in 56% of cases. The most common underlying diseases were gastrointestinal, cardiac, and cancer. Most patients were managed by a multidisciplinary team. The most common complication was empyema managed with chest tubes. Conclusions: We report an esophageal perforation mortality rate of 9%. Approximately 1% of perforations directly led to death. All uncontained thoracic perforations were complicated by empyema and managed with chest tubes. We observed more contained versus uncontained perforations, which may have contributed to higher survival rate. Our institution’s multidisciplinary approach to managing perforations potentially contributed to better outcomes and increased survival. Esophageal perforation remains a medical emergency, but perhaps with prompt recognition and interdisciplinary management, outcomes may not be as dreadful as previously reported.