Congenital atresia and stenosis of the small intestine

In 1911, Fockens of Rotterdam reported the first successfully treated case of small intestinal atresia. Up until 1952, however, the mortality rate of atresia of the small intestine remained very high, even at the best pediatric surgical centers. Late presentation, dysmotility of the proximal dilated atretic bowel, the blind loop syndrome, malnutrition, infections, prematurity, and associated congenital abnormalities contributed to the high mortality. In a comprehensive review of the world literature up to 1950, Evans could find reports of only 39 successfully treated cases of jejunoileal atresia.