Sixty tracheal resections--single center experience

This study evaluates the clinical outcome following surgery of our patients for the last seven years. Between 2001 and 2008 we performed tracheal resections in 60 patients. There were 46 cases of postintubation stenosis and 14 tumors. The range of resected rings was 1-8. The maximal resection length performed in our series (4 cm) was achieved using only basic releasing maneuvers such as anterior dissection of the trachea and cervical flexion. Emergency tracheal resection with no complications was performed in 12 patients who presented with severe dyspnea due to very tight stenosis. One patient died during the surgical intervention from a stroke. There were two postoperative deaths, both in patients with tracheo-esophageal fistula. As major complications we mention one patient with restenosis who underwent revision surgery. Among the patients with malignant tumors we had one local epidermoid carcinoma recurrence 18 months after surgery and the two patients with thyroid cancer who died six and nine months later. Basic releasing maneuvers allow a good length of the trachea to be resected with no complications. We consider that emergency tracheal resection can be performed with success. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent histological type in our series.