Tracheal Surgery - a 10-year Center Experience

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Respiratory Medicine
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Tracheal surgery addresses diverse conditions including inflammatory, congenital, and traumatic stenoses, neoplasms, and lacerations.
• The field requires multidisciplinary collaboration due to the trachea's complex anatomy and varied pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review a single institution's management strategies for a wide spectrum of tracheal lesions over a decade.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical interventions for tracheal pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 24 patients undergoing tracheal surgery between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2023.
• Evaluation of preoperative and postoperative data from clinical files and registry systems.

Main Results:

• Post-intubation tracheal stenosis was the most common indication (67%), followed by lacerations (25%) and neoplasms (8%).
• Complications included vocal cord paralysis (8%), wound infection (8%), anastomotic dehiscence (4%), and mediastinitis (4%).
• Overall mortality was 8%, with low rates of re-stenosis and need for tracheostomy.

Conclusions:

• Tracheal surgery is a viable and safe procedure for carefully selected patients.
• The findings support the safety and effectiveness of tracheal surgery with acceptable morbidity and mortality.