Autologous tracheal replacement for cancer

Surgical research has failed during fifty years to find an ideal substitute for the trachea after extended resection. All the prostheses could erode the adjacent structures or lead to infection or obstructive issues. Innovation in surgery development has been improved using novel techniques of plastic surgery. During the last ten years, we have developed a technique using free fasciocutaneous flaps. This allows us to construct tubes for tracheal replacement. The most accurate flap used for this technique is the forearm free flap (FFF). Reinforcement of the flap with autologous strips of cartilage harvested from the last ribs offers sufficient resistance to respiratory pressure. This technique is also completely autologous without any stent in the tracheal lumen. From 2004 to 2015 we have already reconstructed the trachea of 16 patients for 12 primary tracheal neoplasms [including 9 adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and 3 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)], 3 secondary tracheal Neoplasms and one for benign lesion. This article describes the indications, determination of resectability, patient selection, subheading for surgery, postoperative management and results of this technique.