title: Postintubation laryngotracheal stenosis: assessing the success of surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the outcome in adult patients with laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) and assessed the effect of procedures on their quality-of-life scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 15 adult patients with LTS (11 males [73.3%], 4 females [26.7%]; mean age, 32 years [range, 10-52 years]) treated at the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Surgery Clinic, İzmir Atatürk Research Hospital, Turkey, from 1997 to 2008. Success of the surgery is evaluated by decanullation rate, Short form-36 (SF-36), and the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The etiology of the LTS was intubation related in 14 cases (93.3%) and idiopathic in 1 case. According to the Myers-Cotton classification, 2 (13%), 8 (54%), and 5 (33%) patients were at stages 2 to 4, respectively. Fourteen patients had a mean follow-up of 57 months (range, 24-256 months). The stenotic segment involved 1 to 3 cm (mean, 1.7 cm) of trachea, and 2 to 5 tracheal rings (mean, 3.1) were resected. Postoperative decannulation was achieved in 13 patients (86.6%). In the short form-36 questionnaire, all of the parameters except for "role-emotional" were found to be significant (P < 0.01). The Medical Research Council dyspnea scale assessment revealed a significant (P < 0.001) decrease postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Segmental resection with primary anastomosis is an effective method and can be used as the first option in selected cases of advanced stenosis.
authors.affiliation: From the *Şirnak State Hospital, Şirnak; and †Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, İzmir Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Research and Education Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tayfun
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Mehmet Sinan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Başoğlu
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Öztürkcan
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katilmiş
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007829:Laryngostenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult