Surgical management of post-transplant bronchial stenoses: a single-center experience

Bronchial stenoses are challenging complications after lung transplantation and are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. We report a series of patients who underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection for bronchial stenoses that did not resolve with endoscopic treatment after lung transplantation.

Between 1995 and 2020, 497 patients underwent lung transplantation at our Institution. 35 patients (7.0%) experienced bronchial stenoses with a median time from transplantation of 3 months. Endoscopic management was effective in 28 cases (5.6%) while 1 patient required re-transplantation. Six patients (1.2%) underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection.

The procedures of the six patients who underwent bronchoplasty or sleeve resection were as follows: lower sleeve bilobectomy (n = 3), wedge bronchoplasty of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), isolated sleeve resection of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), and isolated sleeve resection of the bronchus intermedius (n = 1), associated with a middle lobectomy. All patients were discharged after a median time of 11 days. At a median of 12 months from surgery, two patients remain alive with a preserved pulmonary function. Four patients died after a median time of 56 months from bronchoplasty of causes that were not related to surgery.

Bronchial reconstructions are challenging procedures that can be performed in highly specialized centers. Despite this, they can be considered a good strategy to obtain a definitive resolution of stenosis after lung transplantation.