[Successful re-reconstruction for complete disruption of the right main bronchus by blunt chest trauma]

A 22 year-old man was brought to our hospital about twenty-three minutes following a high-speed motorbicycle accident in which he had blunt chest trauma. He was in severe respiratory distress with marked dyspnea and restless with extensive subcutaneous emphysema involving anterior chest wall, cervical and bilateral inguinal regions. A chest X-ray revealed bilateral pneumothorax involving mediastinal emphysema and also fracture of right submandibular and clavicula. In spite of orotracheal intubation and insertion of bilateral chest tube, continuous air leak and pneumothorax did not improve. Bronchoscopy revealed the disruption of mucosa of the right main bronchus at the bifurcation. Emergency right thoracotomy was performed and there was the complete disruption of the right main bronchus. Anastomosis of the right main bronchus with circumferential resection was undertaken on May 30, 1987 about two hours after trauma. About three months after reconstruction, bronchoscopic examination revealed stomal stenosis with deformation of tracheobronchial cartilage and granulation. The stenosis showed severe irregularity by deformed cartilage and thickened scar, so widening by Nd-YAG laser vaporization was inadequate in effect. Seven months after first reconstruction, we performed re-reconstructive operation, right upper sleeve lobectomy with partial resection of carcina and right wall of trachea for scar with severe deformation of cartilage. Following the operation, the patient suffered from sepsis with pneumonitis accompanied by lung edema. This complication was treated successfully. We considered that acute pneumonitis was caused by reventilation with increase of perfusion after tracheobronchial reconstruction. Consequently, we thought it important to treat such patients with long term IPPB postoperatively with adequate medication for respiratory system.