Tracheal reconstruction surgery for congenital tracheal stenosis

Congenital tracheal stenosis is a rare but dangerous disease. Reconstructive tracheal surgery is a life-saving treatment but also a challenging procedure. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of tracheal reconstruction surgery.

A prospective cohort study was conducted with all the records of congenital tracheal stenosis which had been managed by tracheal reconstruction surgery at Children's Hospital 2 Ho Chi Minh City from August 2013 to August 2022.

Sixty-seven cases, who underwent slide tracheoplasty, were included in our study. Mean age was 7.6 months (25 days - 8 years). Common congenital-associated lesion was left pulmonary artery sling, accounting for 65.7% of cases. Bronchial stenosis was found in 22.4% patients. Emergency surgery was performed in eight cases. The survival rate in this review was 86.6%. Nine patients died in which four of nine cases (44.4%) were emergency surgery. The recurrent stenosis rate was 8.9%, only two cases needed reoperation in which one died and one recovered uneventfully. The outcomes of surgery were good in 53 cases (79.1%).

Tracheal reconstruction surgery with slide tracheoplasty technique is safe and versatile technique which is feasible in every case of congenital tracheal stenosis. Mortality was associated with severe cases which required emergency surgery.