Staged Airway Stenting for Life‐Threatening Tracheogastric Fistula ( TGF ) After Esophagectomy: A Case Report

Tracheogastric fistula (TGF) is a rare but lethal complication following esophagectomy. Management of critical TGF cases with hemorrhage and respiratory failure remains challenging due to limited therapeutic options. We report a case of a 60‐year‐old man who developed life‐threatening TGF with massive bleeding from the cervical anastomotic, airway, and thoracic drain sites 11 days postesophagectomy. Emergency bedside gastroscopy and bronchoscopy confirmed a left bronchial TGF. A staged intervention protocol was implemented: (1) Y‐shaped airway stent placement during mechanical ventilation for hemorrhage control; (2) custom‐made extended‐length airway stent for precise fistula sealing; (3) combined negative‐pressure drainage, targeted antibiotics, and nutritional support. After 36 days, complete fistula healing was achieved with stent removal. This case demonstrates that staged airway stenting with multimodal intensive care unit (ICU) support can successfully manage critical postesophagectomy TGF, providing a potential therapeutic paradigm for this devastating complication.