[Slide tracheoplasty in congenital tracheal stenosis]

Slide Tracheoplasty has progressively become the gold standard in the management of long-segment tracheal stenosis in children and infants. However, in certain situations this operation might become difficult and others techniques might be preferred.

Five patients, 1 to 6 month old had surgery by our team, for complex tracheal stenosis between 2001 and 2005. Tracheal hypoplasia was considered complex because it was associated to either: an acquired critical stenosis, a cricoid stenosis, a bronchial stenosis, a tracheal bronchus or associated to oesophageal atresia and severe tracheomalacia. All of them have been treated by a modified slide tracheoplasty.

The postoperative status required an average of 15 days in ICU, including 8 days of ventilation. Two patients had laryngeal nerve injury. Medium term follow up (27 months) demonstrated no need for re-intervention, good potential growth and normal child activity.

Slide tracheoplasty can provide good results in certain cases of severe and complex tracheal hypoplasia in infants.