Indian pediatrics
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During a 3-year period 11 neonates underwent general anesthesia for primary repair of tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF). The age ranged from 1-10 days. Out of these patients, 8 (72.7%) had atresia of the esophagus with a blind upper pouch and lower segment communicating with a trachea. ⋯ There was no intraoperative mortality. However, the incidence of post-operative mortality was 27.3% (3 cases). The cause of death in all these cases was severe non-resolving pneumonia.