Tracheal Transection After Prolonged Intubation and Tracheostomy: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Tracheal transection is a rare but life-threatening complication of tracheal injury.
• It most commonly occurs after blunt force trauma to the neck.
• Iatrogenic causes, particularly after tracheotomy, are less frequently documented.

Observation:

• A patient presented with symptoms indicative of tracheal stenosis.
• The patient had no history of trauma.
• Surgical exploration for tracheal stenosis revealed an unexpected complete tracheal transection.

Findings:

• Complete tracheal transection was identified intraoperatively.
• The transection was an incidental finding during a procedure for tracheal stenosis.
• This case represents a non-traumatic, iatrogenic presentation of tracheal transection.

Implications:

• This case expands the known spectrum of tracheal transection etiologies.
• It underscores the importance of considering tracheal transection in patients with stenosis, even without trauma.
• Further investigation into iatrogenic tracheal transection after procedures like tracheotomy is warranted.