Caustic ingestion can lead to oesophageal stenosis. We studied 251 patients, 205 of whom were children, in a sixteen-year period. Seventeen patients, of whom one was an adult, acquired deep burns in the oesophagus which had to be treated, to prevent the development of oesophageal strictures. These patients were treated with long-term stenting of the oesophagus with specially designed, silicone rubber stents, impregnated with silicone oil 20 cS, designed by one of us (R.N.P.B.) as the only treatment. Of all models, the twin-tube dilatator was the most satisfactory. No corticosteroids were administered. Only one patient developed a mild stenosis. It is therefore our opinion that, when life-saving operations are not indicated, twin-tube stenting of the oesophagus is helpful in treating caustic lesions of the oesophagus and will prevent stricture formation. Corticosteroids were not given in this series, and should be abandoned in the treatment of caustic lesions.

The management of oesophageal strictures in neonates and infants is often by bougie dilatation. We report two cases in which balloon dilatation was used successfully and suggest that this may be a preferable technique in this age group.

The treatment of double strictures in the airway and the oesophagus has always been time-consuming and causes additional suffering. A new technique using an open approach with the placement of two Montgomery silicone T-tubes to support and dilate the two strictures was successfully performed on a patient after caustic substance ingestion. Scar tissue was incised before two T-tubes were positioned into the larynx and oesophagus through a laryngo-fissure approach. The tubes remained in position for one year and no complications occurred. No foreign body sensation or prosthesis migration was observed and the patient had nearly normal peroral alimentation. After removal of the tubes, follow-up for an additional two years revealed no recurrence of the stenoses and normal alimentation without stridor. This technique permits simultaneous stenting of strictures of the larynx and oesophagus by using a connecting suture between the superior parts of two stents.