The European Paediatric Surgeons' Association (EUPSA) and the European Reference Network for Rare Inherited and Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA) conducted a survey to assess the current surgical management and care practices for esophageal atresia (EA) in order to assess changes over the past decade.

An online survey consisting of 56 questions was administered to EUPSA members and ERNICA representatives between March and September 2025. The questionnaire covered seven domains: center structure, preoperative assessment, surgical management of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) patients and long-gap EA, postoperative care, long-term follow-up, and the management of complications. Results were compared to practices reported in a previous EUPSA Network Office survey in 2013.

There were a total of 202 respondents from 41 countries with 60% from European Union countries. Compared with previous surveys, the routine use of preoperative bronchoscopy and the use of trans-anastomotic tubes were found to be significantly more common (both p < 0.001). A marked increase in preference for thoracoscopic techniques for EA-TEF was observed (p < 0.001). The routine use of chest drains, elective paralysis, and contrast studies prior to feeding initiation also rose significantly over the decade (p ≤ 0.004). Yet for many areas of care, there remains variation between surgeons, and structured long-term follow-up arrangements are not universal.

The findings demonstrate increased standardization and suggest increased adherence to recommendations in the management of EA-TEF. However, significant variation persists in long-term follow-up, transition-to-adult-care programs, and structured quality-of-life assessment, highlighting areas for future harmonization across European centers.

T.S.: conceptualization, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing; F.P.: conceptualization, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing; L.P.: data curation, formal analysis, methodology; O.K.C.S.: conceptualization, data curation, writing—review and editing; I.S.: conceptualization, data curation; F.D.: conceptualization, data curation; E.Z.-R.: conceptualization, data curation; R.G.: conceptualization, data curation; J.D.: conceptualization, data curation, writing—review and editing; C.M.-B.: conceptualization, data curation; R.W.: conceptualization, data curation; N.J.H.: conceptualization, data curation, writing—review and editing.

Received: 10 January 2026

Accepted: 20 January 2026

Accepted Manuscript online:
23 January 2026

Article published online:
05 February 2026

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