Total tracheal resection for long-segment benign tracheal stenosis.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic surgery
• Pulmonology
• Surgical innovation

Background:

• Benign tracheal stenosis presents a significant surgical challenge, particularly for long segments, due to the difficulty in achieving tension-free anastomosis without suitable tracheal substitutes.
• Recurrent interventions for tracheal stenosis can lead to patient debilitation and complicate surgical management.

Observation:

• A patient presented with a 6-cm benign tracheal stricture secondary to tuberculosis.
• The patient was severely debilitated following multiple unsuccessful bronchoscopic interventions.

Findings:

• A staged surgical resection approach was successfully employed.
• This facilitated a near-total tracheal resection.
• Primary anastomosis was achieved with complete resolution of symptoms.

Implications:

• Staged tracheal resection offers a viable solution for managing extensive benign tracheal stenosis.
• This technique can lead to successful primary anastomosis and complete symptom relief in severely compromised patients.
• It highlights a potentially crucial advancement in thoracic surgical procedures for complex airway reconstruction.