Prognosis and Complications of Tracheal Stenosis and Tracheal Reconstructive Surgery in Patients Referred to Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan Province during a Ten-Year Period: A Single Referral Center Experience

Abstract

The aim of this study is, to evaluate the prognosis and complications of tracheal stenosis and tracheal reconstructive surgery. This descriptive study was conducted on patients with surgical repairing of tracheal stenosis in thorax surgery center of Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan province (center of Iran) during a ten-year period (April 2003 to March 2013). Sampling method was census and information was collected through researcher by a questionnaire including demographic characteristics, post-operative complications, the number of need for bronchoscopy and the current status of patients, presence of tracheostomy at the time of presentation, intubation causes, intubation period, type of endotracheal tube, clinical symptoms of tracheal stenosis, time of beginning of symptom after extubation, length of removed part of trachea, complications, time of hospitalization, and the view of patients about their status after surgery. After collecting and completing information about patients, the data was analyzed through descriptive statistical techniques using SPSS software. Fifty-two patients with surgical repairing of post-intubation tracheal stenosis were studied, 75 of them were males. The mean age of patients was 39.15 +/- 2.67 years old. The most common chief complaint was dyspnea in 39 patients (75). Wound infection was recorded in 4 patients (7.7), as well as dysfunction of vocal cord was recorded in 8 cases (15.4) and anastomosis failure was recorded in 1 patient (1.9). On the other hand, recurrence of stenosis occurred in 11 patients (21.2). Failure of surgical treatment observed in 14 patients (3 cases dead during or after surgery and 11 cases required re-dilatation). The surgical treatment was successful in 38 other cases (73). We note that by adding the 7 cases that were improved by re-dilatation the success rate of surgical treatment increase from 73 to 86.5. Tracheal stenosis is one of the important complications of intubation. This complication is the most common cause of partial resection of trachea. So recognizing these complications is helpful for effective treatment planning.