After this episode, listeners should be able to:

• Understand the basic anatomy of the esophagus
• Recognize the causes of an esophageal perforation
• Identify the locations and clinical presentations of an esophageal perforation
• List a differential diagnosis
• Understand the preoperative work up for diagnosing an esophageal perforation
• Describe the treatment
• Describe the major steps in the surgical repair of an esophageal perforation