Extratracheal biodegradable splint to treat life-threatening tracheomalacia.
A 9-month-old girl presented with life-threatening acute respiratory failure 1 week after the surgical correction of a double aortic arch, which was due to a severe bulging of the pars membranacea into the lumen of the trachea that produced a complete obstruction of the lower trachea. Under cardiopulmonary bypass, a Y-shaped posterior biodegradable splint was placed behind the trachea and sutured to the posterior trachea, and a simultaneous right aortic arch aortopexy was performed. Thereafter, the child recovered normal respiratory function. Follow-up bronchoscopy showed a posterior dip at the splint level and an asymptomatic persistent posterior compression of the right main bronchus.
Clinic of Pediatric Surgery, Hôpital des Enfants, Geneva, Switzerland. philippe.bugmann@hcuge.ch
Philippe
P
Bugmann
Peter C
PC
Rimensberger
Afksendyios
A
Kalangos
Constance
C
Barazzone
Maurice
M
Beghetti
Florian J W
FJ
Lang
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013165:Splints; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*