One-fifth of refractory caustic esophageal stricture patients benefit from endoscopic treatment.

Only 20% of patients with caustic refractory benign esophageal strictures (CRBES) were successfully treated with stepwise endoscopic interventions. The success rate was notably higher in those with the recurrent subtype (73%) versus the refractory subtype (0%). A significant 80% of patients eventually required esophageal reconstruction, which demonstrated a high success rate, achieving nutritional autonomy in 91% at an average follow-up of 32 months. The study underscores the potential for early surgical intervention in refractory cases.