[Tracheobronchial surgery]

During the flowering of cardiothoracic surgery over the past 50 years, surgery of the major airway failed to develop correspondingly. The relative rarity of such cases accounts in past for this laggardness. Surgical diseases of the trachea, whether inflammatory or neoplastic, largely are presented as an obstructive problems of the airway. Surgical management of these lesions is based on simple concept of resection of the involved area of the trachea, when the larynx has not been lost because of affection by the primary disease. Primary end-to-end reconstruction of the trachea has been generally recognized as the ideal method of repair following resection. However, based on Belsey's experience it was widely believed, that only 2 cm at most could be removed and the trachea reconstruction by end-to-end suture in any dependable fashion. During the period of 30 years tracheobronchial surgical reconstructions have been accomplished in 187 patients.

Management of the patients with stenosis of the trachea and main bronchi must be started promptly. Emergency treatment for the patients with severe tracheal stenosis is rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Circular tracheal resection is the best method of radical treatment for patients with benign and malignant tracheal narrowing. Sleeve resection is the ideal form of excisional therapy for benign endobronchial tumors, neoplasms of low-grade malignant potential, and bronchostenosis. For patients with tracheobronchial stenosis who are no candidates for surgical reconstruction, tracheobronchial stenting is the management of choice.