[The treatment of serve laryngo-tracheal stenosis (author's transl)]

The treatment of severe laryngo-tracheal stenosis raises complex problems and we remain far from having found a universally agreed solution for all of them. The authors describe here their attitude to severe laryngo-tracheal damage without suggesting that this should be applied from the outset or to all cases seen. It consists of an operation faithful to the principle of that of Rethi as greatly improved by P. aboulker and to which we ourselves have remained faithful whilst in our turn suggesting a certain number of technical modifications which whilst in no way changing its principle simplify the performance with a teflon tube equipped with a detachable tip with a teflon diaphragm momentarily occluding the lower airway. We also suggest the use of steel wire sutures in order to hold the two hemi-larynxes and the fragments of tracheal rings apart when the degree of damage suggests the danger of postoperative trachemalacia or in the presence of recurrence of stenosis, a far from rare possibility in the late course following this type of surgery.