Development of tracheal resection technique – our experience

Overview

Introduction:
Tracheal resections are very frequent interventions on the trachea in general. In borderline cases where the tracheal resection length is too high, the situation can be resolved by inserting a stent or Montgomery’s T cannula. Tracheal stenoses are of benign origin in 94%, and malignant in 6% of cases. We present a summary of tracheal resection interventions for the last 21 years.

Method:
235 tracheal resections were performed at the authors’ institution in 1993–2013. In total 221 benign stenosis cases (85 % developed after tracheostomy, 15% developed after intubation) and 14 malignant cases were treated. The patients were divided into two groups: A − resection in years 1993−2002 and B – resection in years 2003−2013. The comparison of these two time periods is presented with focus on surgical procedures development and recommendations based on experienced complications.

Results:
Restenosis (early or late) is the most common complication during the process of tracheal resection treatment. Tiny fistulas in the suture can be diagnosed easily by minor air leaking and are treated conservatively without intervention. Fortunately, suture insufficiency is relatively rare. In some cases the restenoses can be resected or treated by stent application or by Montgomery’s T-cannula application. Complications were observed in 2% of the treated patients, which is a number presented also by international studies.

Conclusion:
Tracheal resection is definitely an optimal solution for patients suffering from tracheal stenosis. As presented in our study, in the hands of experienced thoracic surgeons tracheal resections is a safe and final solution of tracheal stenosis.

Key words:
trachea – stenosis − resection