Treatment of oesophageal perforation by intubation.

The mortality following oesophageal perforation ranges from 25% to 100% depending on the delay in diagnosis and treatment. Although the treatment recommended for thoracic perforations is emergency thoracotomy and suture of the perforation, the avoidance of this approach in elderly patients is desirable. We therefore describe 6 cases of oesophageal perforation which were treated by insertion of a Celestin tube at laparotomy.