Prevention of tracheal stricture in end-to-end anastomosis

The development of stenosis at the suture line after tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea is associated with failure to approximate the tracheal ends. Evidently, stenosis invariably will occur if the viable mucosal edges are not properly adapted to each other. We developed a method of anastomosis affording accurate approximation of the tracheal ends and particularly of the mucosa by doing Z-plasties in the mucosa. This method of tracheal anastomosis, which is comparatively easy and safe to perform, may be used reliably and without the development of mucosal structures.