Evaluation of management of tracheal stenosis: our experience of 25 patients

Background: This study was conducted at a tertiary referral centre. Tracheal stenosis is a relatively rare complication, the chief etiologies being prolonged intubation and trauma. The management is difficult and requires variety of skill based procedures which can be either endoscopic or open technique. Our objective was to determine factors for deciding on the type of surgery required for patients with tracheal stenosis. Methods: 25 consecutive patients of tracheal stenosis referred to our department were selected after confirming the diagnosis by fibre optic examination and CT scan. Results: All the patients were managed using various techniques. Long segment and circumfrential stenosis underwent resection and anastamosis. Other cases were managed by either endoscopic techniques or tracheoplasty. Conclusions: The main factors for deciding the type of intervention are the length of stenotic segment and presence circumferential stenosis.