Endoscopic laser surgery for subglottic and tracheal stenosis

Seventeen patients with subglottic and tracheal stenosis were treated with laser surgery. Six patients had airway stenosis caused by malignant tumors. Out of 16 patients who required emergency endolaryngeal laser surgery, satisfactory results were achieved in 12, obtaining a sufficient lumen for ventilation. Five cases with airway tumors underwent laser surgery to increase the airway lumen, however, only one patient showed excellent results, with a sufficient airway lumen not being obtained in the others. Airway obstructions due to tumor can be treated satisfactorily by laser surgery, though long-term postoperative follow-up confirmed recurrence of tumor in some cases, which is a problem that must be overcome in the future.