Endobronchial Nd-Yag laser therapy at Green Lane Hospital

Nd-Yag laser endobronchial therapy has been available at Green Lane Hospital since 1993. During this time 34 patients have received a total of 45 treatments; 12 were referred from other centres. Relief of dyspnoea or haemoptysis, as a result of malignant airway disease, was the most common indication for therapy (20/34). Tracheal webs (post-tracheostomy) were the most common benign lesion treated (4/34). There were no perioperative deaths and only one major complication, a postoperative pneumomediastinum. Two patients with malignant disease undoubtedly had improved survival but most patients had significant palliation of symptoms without clear survival benefit. Three patients had airway stents placed postoperatively. Laser endobronchial therapy is safe and offers useful palliation and occasionally definitive therapy for a variety of airway diseases.