Authors’ reply

Daryl Ramaia, Alexis Bivonab, William Latsonb, Andrew Ofosuc, Emmanuel Oforid, Madhavi Reddyd, Douglas G. Adlerd

The Brooklyn Hospital Center, NY; St George’s University, True Blue, Grenada, WI; University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

aDepartment of Medicine, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, NY (Daryl Ramai), bSchool of Medicine, St George’s University, True Blue, Grenada, WI (Alexis Bivona, William Latson), cDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, NY (Andrew Ofosu), dDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Center, Salt Lake City, Utah (Emmanuel Ofori, Madhavi Reddy, Douglas G. Adler), USA

Correspondence to: Douglas G. Adler MD, FACG, AGAF, FASGE, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, e-mail: Douglas.adler@hsc.utah.edu
Received 28 November 2018; accepted 29 November 2018; published online 7 December 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20524/aog.2018.0334
© 2019 Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology

Annals of Gastroenterology (2019) 32, 112


Thank you very much for your comments, with which we agree. The anatomy of a relatively weaker and less perfused tracheal wall may indeed account for the migration of atrial septal defect (ASD) occluder devices. We also thank you for highlighting the potentially greater risk of an off-label use of this device. We would like to add that the use of ASD occluder devices for treating tracheoesophageal fistulas is largely experimental. There are limited data on the use of ASD devices for this indication and endoscopists should balance the relative risks and unknowns of using this device with the potential benefits it offers. Future data may shed more light on the role of ASD devices in treating tracheoesophageal fistulas.

Notes

Conflict of Interest: None.