Early results of slide tracheoplasty for long-segment tracheal stenosis

Slide tracheoplasty (STP) has been the procedure of choice for long-segment tracheal stenosis (LSTS) in children. Compared to other congenital airway surgeries, it is more challenging, with a mortality rate of 12%.

A retrospective review of 10 consecutive patients who underwent STP from the year 2021 to 2024 at Institut Jantung Negara, Malaysia, by a single surgeon was carried out.

Five children underwent STP alone while the other five had concomitant cardiac procedures. Two patients had prior patch tracheoplasty while one had a previous tracheal dilatation. None of the patients required postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and there was no reported chest reopening due to bleeding. We had one early mortality from septic shock due to mediastinitis at day 11 postoperatively, while another patient had late mortality from respiratory arrest during bronchoscopy procedure at 3 months postoperatively. All 9 patients who successfully underwent STP were discharged from the hospital without the need for any non-invasive ventilation at home. The remaining 8 surviving patients are well and in New York Heart Association class I at their most recent clinic review. None of the surviving patients required further tracheal interventions postoperatively.

Our data suggest that STP is feasible and effective even in patients with LSTS, including those requiring concomitant cardiac surgery.