title: Anterior pericardial tracheoplasty for congenital tracheal stenosis: intermediate to long-term outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although several techniques for the treatment of long-segment stenosis of the trachea have been reported, including slide tracheoplasty, rib grafting, and use of a pericardial patch, the optimal repair remains controversial because of a lack of midterm to long-term follow-up data.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the intermediate and long-term outcomes of patients having repair with anterior pericardial tracheoplasty, we reviewed case histories of 12 patients (1984 to present). The median age was 6.7 months (range, 1 to 98 months), and the median weight was 6.0 kg (range, 0.97 to 42 kg). All patients underwent anterior pericardial tracheoplasty through a median sternotomy during partial normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. An average of 13 tracheal rings (range, five to 23) were divided anteriorly, and a patch of fresh autologous pericardium was used to enlarge the trachea by 1.5 times the predicted diameter for patient age and weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was one hospital death, and all but 2 patients are long-term survivors. All but 1 current survivor remain asymptomatic, with no bronchoscopic evidence of airway obstruction or granulation on the pericardial patch. All survivors examined have normal tracheal growth and development, with a median follow-up of 5.5 years (range, 1 to 11 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior pericardial tracheoplasty for congenital tracheal stenosis provides excellent results at intermediate to long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, James W. Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Turrentine
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karmazyn
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Heifetz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kesler
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008722:Methods; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D014132:Trachea / Q000601:surgery*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome