European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vol 4, 265-268, Copyright © 1990 by European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Management of non-tumoral tracheal stenosis in 112 patients
F Paris, JM Borro, V Tarrazona, M Casillas, G Galan, JM Caffarena Jr and J Segui
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital La Fe, University of Valencia, Spain.
From January 1973 to August 1989, 112 patients with non-tumoral tracheal
strictures were treated in our unit. In 102 patients, the stenosis followed
respiratory support. Eighty-one patients were treated surgically; the rest
required only endoscopic therapy. In 28 patients, surgical treatment
followed failure of endoscopic management. Of the patients submitted to
surgery an isolated tracheal stenosis was present in 54 cases while a
laryngotracheal stricture was the lesion in the other 27. Tracheal
resection and end-to-end anastomosis was performed in the former group.
Rethi, Pearson and Couraud procedures, respectively, were carried out in
the latter. We emphasize the difference in the results achieved in the
first 5 years and those obtained in the last 10 years. In the former
period, 7 reoperations were needed. On the other hand, although the overall
mortality of both series was 9%, it decreased to 2% during the last 10
years. Excellent or good ultimate results were achieved in 92% of
survivors. Finally, we stress the differences in the proportion of
reinterventions and definitive failures in the surgical treatment of
isolated tracheal stenosis compared to laryngotracheal strictures.
