Surgical results of 23 patients with tracheobronchial injuries

The objective of this study was to evaluate the surgical results of tracheobronchial injuries. Between July 1988 and March 1996, tracheobronchial surgery was performed on 23 injured patients. According to the aetiology, the injuries were categorized as blunt injury (n = 13), cutting or penetrating injury (n = 5), and corrosive injury (n = 5). Blunt injuries included three complete laryngotracheal disruptions, one tracheal laceration, and eight bronchial ruptures. Cutting or penetration injuries included four laryngotracheal ruptures and one tracheal cutting wound. Corrosive injuries included one tracheal necrosis, one tracheal stenosis and three esophagorespiratory fistulae. Operative procedures that were performed on the tracheobronchus included tracheoplasty (n = 12), bronchoplasty (n = 7), sleeve resection of the trachea (n = 2) and bronchus (n = 2). Two hospital deaths were encountered, with a mortality rate of 8.7%. One patient with caustic injury died of bronchopleural fistula and empyema. The other patient died with multiple injuries from multiple organ failure which was unrelated to the bronchoplasty. One postoperative complication was restenosis of the trachea in a caustic injured patient, which was treated by a T-tube insertion. In conclusion, tracheobronchoplasty is an effective life-saving emergency procedure for the patients with tracheobronchial injuries.