Allograft tracheoplasty technique for management of refractory tracheal stenosis

OBJECTIVES: Extensive tracheal airway defects represent a clinical dilemma. Although resection and reanastomosis and staged tracheoplasty may prove beneficial in some cases, recurrent or extensive circumferential stenosis remains a reconstructive challenge. We report the use of the allograft tracheoplasty technique for the reconstruction of recurrent, extensive defects of the trachea and cricoid. METHODS: Nine consecutive patients with recurrent tracheal stenosis were treated with the two-stage allograft tracheoplasty technique. A retrospective review was performed to evaluate for prior surgery, length of stenosis, surgical technique, and outcome. All 9 patients underwent multiple surgical procedures for acquired tracheal stenosis (average, 3.4 procedures) before undergoing the allograft tracheoplasty technique. Before surgery, all patients were tracheotomy-dependent. RESULTS: The patients were assessed 8 to 39 months after allograft tracheoplasty. The primary airway disorders included postintubation stenosis (n = 6), surgical resection for malignancy (n = 1), and idiopathic stenosis (n = 2). Three defects involved 30% to 60% of the cricoid cartilage, and 4 defects were complete circumferential tracheal defects. Five patients underwent an island deltopectoral flap for closure of the tracheoplasty site. One patient had a superficial wound infection at the cartilage recipient site, and 1 patient had a hematoma at the deltopectoral flap donor site. All 9 patients were successfully decannulated without shortness of breath, stridor, or recurrent stenosis at the time of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Allograft tracheoplasty is a new technique for the reconstruction of recurrent tracheal stenosis. It appears to be reliable for extensive airway defects that are refractory to conventional tracheoplasty techniques.     

甲状腺乳头状腺癌侵犯气管的治疗与预后

目的探讨甲状腺乳头状腺癌（papillary thyroid carcinoma，PTC）侵犯气管的治疗方式及其预后。方法回顾性分析1980-1995年间45例PTC侵犯气管患者的临床资料。根据肿瘤侵犯气管的范围和程度不同分为气管局限性受侵组（A组）行肿瘤切除术28例，肿瘤侵及气管腔内组（B组）行根治性切除术10例和肿瘤区域广泛受侵组（C组）行姑息性切除术7例。39例行颈淋巴清扫术。术后切缘病理检查有肿瘤细胞或术中肉眼观察肿瘤切除不干净的部分患者给予术后放疗，共17例。Kaplan-Meier法计算累积生存率，组问差异采用Log．Rank法检验。结果①A组5年和10年生存率分别为85．0％和62．6％。7例术后放疗，21例术后未放疗。术后放疗与术后未放疗比较，5年和10年生存率比较差异均无统计学意义（P值均〉0．05）。②B组5年和10年生存率分别为80．0％和58．3％。术后放疗6例，未放疗4例。术后放疗与否，5年和10年生存率比较差异均无统计学意义（P值均〉0．05）。③C组5年和10年生存率分别为42．9％和28．6％。4例术后放疗患者，5年和10年生存率分别为50．0％和50．0％。3例术后未放疗患者，5年生存率为33．3％，无10年生存。术后放疗与否，其5年和10年生存率比较差异均无统计学意义（P值均〉0．05）。结论PTC气管受侵尚未侵及腔内黏膜层者可采用肿瘤切除术得以根治，穿透气管腔内黏膜层者行肿瘤根治性切除可延长患者的生存。术后放疗有可能提高姑息性切除患者的生存率。     

Outcome of endoscopic treatment of adult postintubation tracheal stenosis

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the results of primary endoscopic treatment of adult postintubation tracheal stenosis, to identify predictors of a successful outcome, and better define the scope and limitations of minimally-invasive surgery for this condition. METHODS: Sixty-two consecutive patients treated between April 2003 and 2006 with initial endoscopic surgery were prospectively studied. Patient and lesion characteristics, treatment details, complications, decannulation, and open surgery rates were recorded. Actuarial analysis and Cox regression were used to identify predictors of decannulation and freedom from external surgery. RESULTS: There were 34 male patients and the average age was 45 +/- 16 years. The average stenosis height was 18 mm (range: 5-55 mm), and 82% of lesions were Myer-Cotton grades III or IV. Lesion height and intubation-to-treatment latency independently predicted success of endoscopic surgery. Ninety-six percent of patients with lesions <30 mm in height were treated endoscopically, but the success rate fell to 20% for lesions longer than 30 mm. Patients with recalcitrant lesions underwent airway augmentation (n = 11) or resection (n = 3), with a 79% success rate. All patients were decannulated, but some, predominantly morbidly obese patients, required long-term stents for dynamic airway compromise. Ninety-eight percent of re-interventions occurred within 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive treatment is effective in postintubation airway stenosis and obviates the need for open cervicomediastinal surgery in most patients. Patients with old and long lesions are less likely to be cured endoscopically. For most patients in this subgroup, endoscopic surgery makes airway augmentation a viable, less invasive alternative to resection. Patients were unlikely to require further therapy after 6 months of symptom-free follow-up.     

Inner surface imaging of laryngeal and tracheal stenosis by spiral-CT: role of a new diagnostic procedure

BACKGROUND: Inner-surface-reconstruction calculated from helical-CT data sets offers a new diagnostic option for upper airway assessment. Using a special software, it is possible to create a continuous overview on the inner surface of hollow viscera on a monitor, similar to an endoscopic view. However, reports on the clinical value of this examination procedure with regard to laryngeal or tracheal stenosis are rare. METHOD: We compared the results of this "virtual endoscopy" with real endoscopic or intraoperative findings in 11 patients suffering from laryngeal or tracheal stenosis of various etiologies. RESULTS: Data on extension and localization of airway stenosis obtained by virtual endoscopy corresponded well with our endoscopic or intraoperative findings in all patients. The grade of airway stenosis as assessed by inner-surface-reconstruction could be confirmed by endoscopy in 8 of 11 cases investigated. Detection of 2 additional airway stenoses distal to an endoscopically non-passable tracheal stenosis was possible by virtual endoscopy in one case. CONCLUSION: As a supportive diagnostic procedure, virtual endoscopy offers a valuable overview on extension and localization of laryngeal or tracheal stenoses with regard to a possible therapeutic management.     

Idiopathic subglottic stenosis revisited

Idiopathic subglottic stenosis (ISS) is a rare inflammatory process of unknown cause, usually limited to the subglottic region and the first 2 tracheal rings. We performed a retrospective analysis of our experience with a series of patients with this condition. The study involved retrospective review of the records of patients with ISS. A series of criteria that included patient clinical history, laboratory tests, flexible nasolaryngoscopic examination, and biopsies were used to establish a diagnosis. Symptoms, treatment, and outcome were examined. A total of 16 patients were identified; 14 were female (87.5%), and 2 were male. The mean follow-up time was 75.5 months. Fourteen patients required surgical treatment for respiratory compromise. Nine of these cases have been controlled effectively with endoscopic laser techniques. Endoscopic management failed in 5 patients, and 2 patients underwent laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction. Mitomycin-C was used in 6 patients as an adjuvant to endoscopic laser surgery. Patients in whom endoscopic treatment failed were noted to have thicker (>1 cm) and more complex stenoses. The diagnosis of ISS is a diagnosis of exclusion. A complete workup of the patient must be performed to rule out other causes of stenosis. Endoscopic laser surgery is a valid initial approach for thinner, noncomplicated lesions. Patients with thicker, complex lesions in whom endoscopic treatment fails are best managed with laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction. However, adjuvant use of mitomycin-C may prove beneficial in the treatment of these patients. Estrogen may play a role in the pathogenesis of ISS by altering the wound healing response.     

Anastomosis of the cervical trachea in children.

Numerous techniques for the surgical management of laryngotracheal stenosis in children have been described in the literature. These surgical modalities include endoscopic management and open laryngotracheal reconstruction using costal cartilage grafts for expansion of the stenotic subglottic region. Although tracheal resection with primary reanastomosis for the management of tracheal stenosis is reported frequently in the adult population, children rarely have stenotic lesions that are amenable to this particular technique. Laryngotracheal stenosis in children most commonly involves the subglottis. This makes tracheal resection with anastomosis technically difficult to perform, due to the close proximity of the vocal cords. We have found a subpopulation of children at our institution with high tracheal stenoses, with minimal lower subglottic involvement, who were amenable to tracheal resection with primary anastomosis. We review our experience with this technique. The indications for this surgical modality in children are discussed, as well as the surgical technique.     

Surgical treatment of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension and tracheal tumors with composite nasal septal cartilage graft: technique and outcome

OBJECTIVE: Composite nasal septal cartilage grafts (CNSCG) are effective grafting materials in laryngeal and tracheal reconstruction following tumor resection. METHODS: Between 1985 and 2005, we used CNSCG for the reconstruction of defects following resection of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension (20 cases), subglottic mesenchymal tumors (2 cases), invasive thyroid carcinoma (4 cases), tracheal tumors (3 cases) and esophagus carcinoma with tracheal invasion (1 case) in total of 30 patients. RESULTS: The patients with subglottic tumors were decanulated within 5-7 days except one case. We achieved satisfactory voice and swallowing without any sign of recurrence. Overall complications consisted of subglottic stenosis in one case, and unilateral paralysis of recurrent laryngeal nerve in two cases. One patient with subglottic laryngeal carcinoma died due to neck and distant metastases 4 years after the operation. All patients are well with a mean follow-up period 9 years. Three patients with tracheal tumors underwent lateral resection and reconstructed with CNSCG. Satisfactory healing of the grafts was seen in all cases without local recurrence or complication with a mean follow-up period of 62 months. One of the patients had distant metastases 3 years after the operation. The patient with esophagus carcinoma and tracheal invasion was treated by total esophagectomy, gastric pull-up, tracheal resection and CNSCG reconstruction. He died at postoperative 5th day due to mediastinitis as a complication of gastric pull-up. CONCLUSION: Free composite cartilage graft is a reliable material in the reconstruction of defects after surgery of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension, invasive thyroid and esophagus tumors and well-selected tracheal tumors.     

Malformation and Stenosis of the Cricoid Cartilage in Association With Larsen's Syndrome

Three patients with the typical features of Larsen's syndrome are described. All three developed severe respiratory symptoms caused by a congenital subglottic stenosis. Tracheotomy and treatment of the stenosis by means of laryngotracheoplasty resulted in complete collapse of the cricoid cartilage and the proximal tracheal skeleton. Lack of rigidity of the laryngeal and tracheal cartilages in patients with Larsen's syndrome could well be responsible for this failure. Surgical treatment consisted of resection of the stenotic and collapsed areas and end-to-end anastomosis. This therapy was eventually successful in all three patients.     

Use of Endoscopically Placed Expandable Nitinol Tracheal Stents in the Treatment of Tracheal Stenosis

Objective: To evaluate the potential utility of a new endoscopically placed expandable tracheal stent in the treatment of benign symptomatic stenoses of the cervical trachea. Study Design: Pilot study utilizing a prospectively followed case series. Methods: An initial group of six patients undergoing stent placement was examined with rigid and flexible endoscopy under anesthesia immediately following stent placement and at postoperative 6 to 8 weeks. Subsequently each patient was followed clinically for a minimum of 6 months. Results: All stents were well tolerated with no observed complications. Immediate reversal of symptomatic airway obstruction without the need for adjunctive tracheotomy was noted in every patient. At 6 weeks, endoscopic confirmation of complete intraluminal mucosalization without formation of any granulation tissue or scar bands within the stented areas was noted in each case. Conclusions: This preliminary pilot study supports the use of nitinol expandable tracheal stents as an alternative in the treatment of benign symptomatic tracheal stenoses.     

Long-Term Results of Endoscopic Dilatation for Tracheal and Subglottic Stenosis

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term results of endoscopic dilatation of airway stenosis and to evaluate predictive factors for favorable results.

Methods

Fifty-four patients with tracheal and subglottic stenosis who underwent endoscopic dilatation with at least 12 months follow-up were enrolled in this study. We evaluated predictive factors for final treatment outcome such as stenosis length, location, characteristics, procedure type, and the severity of stenosis.

Results

The final outcome of endoscopic dilatation showed a cure rate of 40.7%, improvement rate of 46.3%, and failure rate of 13.0%. Patients with mild stenosis or a shorter stenotic segment and those who underwent a touch-up procedure following tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis showed better outcomes. The cure rate of endoscopic dilatation for patients with shorter mild stenosis was 72.2%.

Conclusion

Endoscopic dilatation may be a primary treatment modality for patients with airway stenosis characterized by mild severity and a short stenotic segment.     

Idiopathic subglottic stenosis: management by endoscopic and open-neck surgery in a series of 30 patients

We describe our experience in the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic subglottic stenosis (ISS), a rare pathological entity involving the subglottic larynx and the first tracheal rings and affecting virtually only females. Its diagnosis can be made only after the exclusion of all other known causes of subglottic stenosis. In a 17-year period, between January 1986 and June 2002, 30 patients were admitted and treated for ISS at the Department of Otolaryngology and/or the Center for Respiratory Endoscopy and Laser Therapy, the University of Brescia, Italy. Clinical, endoscopic and surgical records were retrospectively analyzed with particular emphasis on treatment (endoscopic versus open-neck procedures) and follow-up. Based on our experience, we can define endoscopic treatment by carbon dioxide or Nd:YAG laser-assisted dilatation and scar tissue resection with or without airway stenting as the treatment of choice for the initial management of ISS. After repeated endoscopic failures, open-neck surgery by laryngoplasty or laryngotracheal resection and anastomosis is strongly recommended, particularly for complex lesions longer than 1 cm.     

Efficacy of bronchoscopic carbon dioxide laser surgery for benign strictures of the trachea

There have been conflicting reports in our literature concerning the efficacy of bronchoscopic carbon dioxide laser surgery for the treatment of benign strictures of the trachea. We have examined our experience in the management of this disease over a 2 1/2-year period; in all cases, our initial management was performed utilizing the rigid, ventilating bronchoscope with the universal endoscopic coupler and carbon dioxide laser. Eight of 14 patients were successfully managed in this study; retrospective analysis of our results revealed that the presence of one or more of the following four factors was extremely important in predicting an unfavorable prognosis of patients with tracheal stenosis managed endoscopically with the carbon dioxide laser: 1. loss of cartilaginous support; 2. stenosis length greater than 1 cm; 3. circumferential scarring; and 1. carinal involvement.     

Therapy of tracheal stenoses

We report the aetiology management and results of 40 cases of laryngeal or tracheal stenoses. In 77.5% the stenoses were due to trauma or iatrogenic causes: nearly all of the stenoses caused by translaryngeal intubation affected the cricoid cartilage or the cricotracheal area. Two kinds of treatment were usually used: segmental resection with end to end anastomosis was successful in all cases and had the advantage of a short treatment and a low complication rate. Treatment by temporary open gutter with subsequent reconstruction of the trachea was successful in 16 patients but duration of the management was longer.     

Open surgical treatment of laryngo-tracheal stenoses in children

BACKGROUND: Treatment strategy in laryngo-tracheal stenoses in children has for a long time been conservative treatment with tracheostomy or bougination in hope of a more or less spontaneous resolution of the stenosis during growth of the child. The results of this option as well as the endoscopic treatment with different laser systems has proved to be rather disappointing. A child with a tracheostomy means a heavy load for the parents to look after this child as well as a constant threat from complications by displacement or plugging of the cannula. METHOD: A retrospective chart review of 22 children, aged between two months and 15 years at the time of surgery with laryngo-tracheal stenoses treated by different open surgical procedures. RESULTS: The aetiology of the stenoses was prolonged endotracheal intubation in 12 children, congenital stenoses in 3 children, unsuccessful laser treatment for acquired stenoses in 3 children, subglottic hemangioma in 3 children and a transglottic cyst in 1 child. 17 cases were treated by laryngo-tracheal reconstruction with rib cartilage graft, 3 crico-tracheal resections, and 2 laryngofissures. Five children could be treated without tracheostomy. From the remaining 17 cases 13 could be decannulated, 1 child died one week after surgery from his congenital heart disease. 3 children are still with a tracheostomy, two of them had had endoscopic laser therapy alio loco before. CONCLUSIONS: Open laryngo-tracheal surgery for paediatric airway stenoses is a successful treatment option besides endoscopic management for selected cases. Resection surgery seems to be indicated for severe stenoses with proliferative scar tissue formation. Depending on personal experience and post-operative facilities procedures without tracheostomy but prolonged post-operative intubation are possible single-stage-solutions.     

Endoscopic management of hypopharyngeal stenosis after organ sparing therapy for head and neck cancer

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe and evaluate the efficacy of an endoscopic technique for the management of postchemoradiation hypopharyngeal stenosis in head and neck cancer patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: Patients with postchemoradiation hypopharyngeal stenoses were identified from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute head and neck database. Patients who had undergone extirpative surgery and reconstruction were excluded. All patients underwent either anterograde dilatation (AD) by the lead author (C.A.S.) or transgastric retrograde esophagoscopy with anterograde dilatation (TREAD) (C.A.S., M.T.J.). Chemoradiation records, clinic notes, operative reports, and swallowing test data were reviewed. Removal of the gastric feeding tube was considered the endpoint of rehabilitation. RESULTS: Seventeen patients had postcricoid stenoses identified by modified barium swallow. Endoscopy confirmed 15 postcricoid stenoses and 2 proximal esophageal stenoses. Nine (53%) patients had partial stenoses, and eight (47%) had complete stenoses. Eight partial stenosis patients underwent 10 AD procedures and 3 TREAD procedures. Eight complete stenosis patients underwent 9 TREAD procedures and 26 subsequent AD procedures. Fifteen of 16 (93%) patients resumed swallowing after dilatation. Thirteen (81%) patients maintained their weight on an oral diet and had their gastric feeding tubes removed. Complications included hypopharyngeal perforation (13%), abdominal wall infection (6%), stomach wall dehiscence (6%), and chondroradionecrosis of the cricoid cartilage (6%). CONCLUSIONS: Postcricoid hypopharyngeal stenosis may be partial or complete after organ sparing chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. Using the TREAD technique, successful rehabilitation of swallowing can be achieved with a low incidence of complications.     

The role of the CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser in the management of laryngotracheal stenosis: a survey of 100 cases

Over the last decade, improvement of CO₂ lasers with the microspot and ultrapulse technologies has broadened the indications for endoscopic CO₂-laser resection of benign laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS). This article reviews 100 patients treated solely by endoscopic means for a LTS. There were 47 grade III, 41 grade II and 12 grade I stenoses according to the Myer-Cotton classification. The postoperative results show that the improvement to a nearly normal (>80% luminal size) airway declines from 92% (11/12 patients) for grade I to 46% (19/41 patients) for grade II and 13% (6/47 patients) for grade III stenoses. When compared to open surgery for more severe grades of stenosis (31 grade IV, 66 grade III and 3 grade II stenoses), the results of the endoscopy group is much less favorable: 36% of patients in the endoscopy group versus 76% of patients in the open surgery group were rehabilitated to a normal respiration without exertional dyspnea and 38% versus 5% patients remained tracheotomy dependent. However, if strict selection and therapeutic criteria are respected, a significant number of grade I and II stenoses, and to a lesser degree of grade III stenoses, can be improved to a nearly normal airway by endoscopic means only. The endoscopic treatment is potentially less invasive and risky and only needs a short hospital stay. To try this as a first treatment modality in a selected group of patients is worthwhile, provided that this endoscopic treatment is not repeated a second time, if the stenosis recurs to its initial grade after a primary CO₂-laser treatment. Some guidelines for safe endoscopic treatment modalities with of the CO₂ laser, dilatation and/or stenting are proposed.     

Development of the larynx and trachea following division of the cricoid cartilage and segmental resection of the trachea in the growth stage. An animal experiment study

Laminotomy as described by Réthi, and segmental tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis have proved useful in the adult for the treatment of stenoses of the larynx. In children, the question arises why these may interfere with the growth of the larynx and trachea. A vertical split of the cricoid cartilage followed by stabilization of the larynx by the temporary introduction of a Montgomery silicone T-tube was carried out on four kittens aged four to six weeks. A segmental tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed on other animals of the same age. When the animals had stopped growing, the larynx and trachea were investigated both endoscopically and histologically. Following laminotomy the larynx underwent remodelling, resulting in an oval shape, the lumen being wide and the function of the vocal cords normal. Following segmental resection of the trachea, a circular stenosis was found, as a result of irregular growth of the sutured tracheal cartilages. In none of the animals, however were either functional disorders or respiratory distress to be observed. Thus, laminotomy or segmental resection of the trachea can be employed during the formative years without fear of clinically relevant growth disorders.     

Endoscopic management of laryngo-tracheobronchial amyloidosis: a series of 32 patients

Between June 1983 and December 2002, 32 patients were treated for primary localized laryngo-tracheobronchial amyloidosis (LTBA) at our institution. For enrollment in this retrospective study, at least one positive biopsy with Congo red stain and a diagnostic test battery excluding systemic or secondary amyloidosis were mandatory. The most common presenting symptom was dyspnea, which was observed in 75% of cases. Endoscopic appearance was described as submucosal plaques and nodules with a cobblestone appearance in 44% of patients, tumor-like in 28% and circumferential wall thickening in 28% of cases. Tracheobronchopatia osteochondroplastica was associated with LTBA in 22% of patients, both at the first treatment (four cases) or during follow-up examinations (three). Synchronous or metachronous disease in the larynx and tracheobronchial tree was observed in 47% of cases, while only one patient showed lung involvement with extensive amyloidosis of the trachea and bronchi. All but two patients were endoscopically treated. One of these was affected by a tracheal amyloidoma cured by endoscopic debulking and further tracheal resection-anastomosis. The other patient presented massive laryngo-pharyngeal involvement and was therefore treated by total laryngectomy. A total of 58 endoscopic procedures (range: 1-7; mean: two per patient) were carried out, 11 with CO2 laser (for supraglottic, glottic and selected subglottic lesions) and 47 with Nd:YAG laser (for the most part of subglottic lesions and amyloid deposits located in trachea and bronchi). Four patients required a tracheotomy and three necessitated a T-tube stent during management, which was subsequently removed in all cases. One patient was lost to follow-up, nine were endoscopically controlled elsewhere (Group A) and 22 were followed at our institution (Group B). In Group A, the patient with tracheal amyloidoma is asymptomatic and free of additional LTBA localizations 8 years after surgery. The remaining eight are asymptomatic, but with persistent endoscopic signs of amyloidosis. In Group B, five patients died: one from heart failure and another one from pneumonia 3 and 4 days after surgery, respectively. In one case death was from unrelated causes, and in the two remaining patients it was from respiratory failure due to uncontrolled bilateral bronchial amyloidosis in the subsequent 5 to 6 years. One patient is completely cured 5 years after surgery, and 16 are asymptomatic with persistence of LTBA.     

Self-expanding nitinol stents in proximal tracheal stenosis

The use of silicone- or metal stents in stenosis of the distal trachea and the bronchial system is a customary procedure [1-4], for example after tumor invasion or cicatricial stenosis after transplantation. In the proximal part of the trachea, on smaller, short and soft strictures we try to stabilise the trachea by the implantation of rings. Other methods are tracheal plasty or transverse tracheal resectomy [5-7]. In the case of longer or nearer subglottal stenoses the positioning of self-expanding nitinol stents has proven a simple, gentle and well-tolerated alternative procedure even in very serious disorders [1, 8, 9]. METHOD: These stents can be placed in short narcosis under endoscopic control without great strain on the patient. RESULTS: We placed nitinol-stents in the proximal part of the trachea in eleven cases. In five cases dyspnoea caused by a tracheal collapse improved. In two further cases a tracheal stenosis with massive granulation tissue and cicatricial pull under an inlaid tracheal cannula was removed and the tracheostoma was closed. In four cases a solid, scarred and cartilaginous stenosis in the area of the cricoid and the upper tracheal rings was widened with laser and later on stented. CONCLUSION: Over an observation time of two years no complications showed safe one case in which a directly postoperative dislocation was repositioned quickly. The patients live without restrictions through the tracheal stenosis or a tracheostoma. In the best possible case epithelialization over the metal meshes develops so that a nearly normal mucus transportation is possible [1, 10-12].     

Results of endoscopic tracheoplasty for treating tracheostomy‐related airway stenosis

• ? Post‐tracheostomy ‘lambdoid’ deformity of the trachea is a specific and uncommon variant of adult post‐intubation laryngotracheal stenosis, in which airway obstruction is caused by inward collapse of over‐resected tracheal cartilage as a result of post‐decannulation stomal contracture.
• ? We evaluated the results of endoscopic tracheoplasty as an alternative to open tracheal resection in 11 patients treated for this condition between 2004 and 2006.
• ? Patients were treated with endoscopic CO₂ laser resection, dilatation and endotracheal mitomycin C application. Suspension micro‐laryngo‐tracheoscopy and high‐frequency supraglottic jet ventilation were used. Eleven patients with an average age of 56 years and lesion height and distance from glottis respectively of 11 ± 5 mm and 35 ± 12 mm were treated.
• ? The median number of treatments fell from four at the start of the series to two at the end (P = 0.08). The average follow‐up was 17 ± 8 months and all patients were cured with no cases of dysphagia or dysphonia. Almost all patients achieved and maintained a Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale of I or II.
• ? Endoscopic tracheoplasty is an effective treatment for this condition. It achieves a successful outcome while avoiding the operative risks, prolonged hospitalisation, and morbidity that is associated with tracheal resection. We recommend it as the standard of care for treating patients with this injury.