title: Laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction for postintubation subglottic stenosis. Lessons learned.
abstract: Between 1981 and June 1992, 26 consecutive patients with a postintubation subglottic stenosis (21 circumferential, 2 anterolateral) underwent the Pearson operation. Subglottic stenosis resulted from a complication of mechanical ventilation with endotracheal intubation with (n = 14) or without (n = 12) tracheostomy (median placement: 25 days). One patient had an associated laryngopharyngeal and tracheoesophageal fistula. Overall, the upper limit of the stenoses lay 1.8 +/- 0.3 cm below the vocal cords, falling in the range of 1 to 2 cm in 88% of patients; they measured 2.9 +/- 0.8 cm in length and the diameter at the level of the maximum stenotic process was 0.5 +/- 0.1 cm. Operations were performed without dissection of the recurrent nerves and plicature of the membranous trachea. Because of scarred mucosa at a higher level, one vertical section of the posterior cricoid plate with interposition of autogenous costal cartilage and 2 subtotal cricoid plate resections with stenting were necessary. The mean length of resection was 3.6 +/- 0.8 cm (range: 2-5 cm) and 88% of them ranged within 2.8 and 5 cm. Twelve thyrohyoid and 3 supralaryngeal releases were performed. Six patients required postoperative tracheostomy, but all were extubated within 24 h. Good results were obtained in 24 (96%) surviving patients; 1 failure and 1 postoperative death (sudden myocardial infarction) occurred. The results confirm that the Pearson operation is an adequate treatment for subglottic stenosis extending up to 1 cm below the vocal cords and measuring up to 6 cm in length. Dissection of both the recurrent nerves, plicature of the membranous trachea, postoperative decompressive tracheostomy and stenting are not necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery and Heart-Lung Transplantation, Hôpital Marie-Lannelongue, Paris-Sud University, Plessis Robinson, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macchiarini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chapelier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lenot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerrina
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dartevelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007829:Laryngostenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D007830:Larynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014139:Tracheostomy; D014986:Xeroradiography