[Surgical treatment of tracheal stenosis]

In the Department of General and Thoracic Surgery between 1981 and 1992 497 patients with tracheal stenosis were treated surgically. In 19 (3.8%) cases the stenosis was after previous tracheostomy. In 469 patients (94.4%) the stenosis was caused as the result of compression by goitre and in 9 (1.8%) by neoplastic tumors of mediastinum. Most patients with tracheal stenosis were treated surgically. In 13 cases the stenosis was resected, in 3 cases T-tube was inserted and in 3 cases the stenosis was dilated. In patients with secondary stenosis due to compression by goitre subtotal thyroidectomy was performed. Early good immediate results in both groups of tracheal stenosis were obtained in 90% of cases. Late results obtained 12 months after treatment of primary tracheal stenosis and 4 to 48 months after treatment of secondary tracheal stenosis (due to goitre) revealed 90% of good results.