HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Liu, H.-C. Articles by Huang, M.-H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Liu, H.-C. Articles by Huang, M.-H. Related Collections Trachea and bronchi

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2002;21:326-330
© 2002 Elsevier Science NL

Silicone T-tube for complex laryngotracheal problems

^a Division of Thoracic Surgery, Mackay Memorial Hospital, #92, Sec 2, Chung-San N. Road, Taipei, Taiwan
^b Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
^c Division of Otolaryngology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
^d Division of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
^e Division of Thoracic Surgery, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
^f National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 25 June 2001; received in revised form 22 October 2001; accepted 13 November 2001.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +886-2-2543-3535 ext. 3060/+886-2-2531-1861; fax: +886-2-2531-1447
e-mail: hcliu{at}ms2.mmh.org.tw

Objective: The use of a T-tube to manage complex laryngotracheal lesions, such as tracheal stenosis, tracheomalacia and tracheal injury, has previously been reported by other surgeons in the past. However, further validation of clinical details, including operative management and postoperative care, is needed. Methods: From January 1991 to May 2000, 53 patients, including 24 with post-tracheostomy stenosis, received 55 silicone T-tubes for transient or permanent stenting of the airway. There were 20 patients for subglottic stenosis; eight for long segment tracheostensis; seven with tracheal stenosis for severe cervicomediastinal fibrosis not amenable for reconstruction; six for complex tracheal injury; four for glottic injury; two each for tracheomalacia, failed tracheal surgery and tuberculotic tracheostenosis; and one each for tracheo-esophageal fistula and necrotizing tracheitis. We retrospectively analyzed these patients. Results: Thirty-eight out of 53 patients (71.8%) with T-tube stenting from 3 to 15 months was considered successful. Fifteen patients’ operations failed due to patients’ underlining diseases, previous intractable pulmonary infection, poor cognition and/or inadequate tube position. After removal of the tube, three patients (10.7%) developed partial airway obstruction with mild subglottic granulation tissue, which was resolved by carbon dioxide laser therapy. Two patients (7.1%) with prolonged tracheocutaneous fistula were conservatively treated by silver nitrate. Conclusion: Silicone T-tube can effectively resolve the complex laryngotracheal lesions with limited complications. Concurrent cardiopulmonary diseases and intractable infection were the two major causes for failure after the T-tube reconstruction.

Key Words: Silicone T-tube • Tracheostomy • Tracheostenosis • Tracheomalacia

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Abbasidezfouli Reply Ann. Thorac. Surg., April 1, 2008; 85(4): 1500 - 1501. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Pereszlenyi, M. Igaz, I. Majer, and S. Harustiak Role of endotracheal stenting in tracheal reconstruction surgery--retrospective analysis Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., June 1, 2004; 25(6): 1059 - 1064. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]