Postintubation tracheal tear repair by cervicotomy and longitudinal tracheotomy.
BACKGROUND
Membranous tracheal lacerations are a serious complication of endotracheal intubation. Smaller tears are often better managed with a conservative treatment. Larger ruptures, especially when associated with important manifestations, need an early surgical repair.


METHODS
In the last 3 years, three female patients with a posterior tracheal wall laceration, related to endotracheal intubation, underwent surgical procedure in our institution. All tracheal tears were repaired with a running suture through a small cervical collar incision and longitudinal tracheotomy.


RESULTS
All surgical procedures were effective and lasted less than 1 hour. Patients were discharged on average after 5 days. Endoscopic follow-up showed a perfect repair of the tear without signs of tracheal stenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
This is a reliable, quick, and safe approach to a rare but insidious complication of general anesthesia. It avoids lateral and posterior dissection of the trachea, reducing the risk of a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.
Janni
A
A
Cardiac and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Italy.
Menconi
G
G
Mussi
A
A
Ambrogi
M C
MC
Angeletti
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007902:Length of Stay; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012421:Rupture; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013997:Time Factors; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing