title: Management of Postintubational Tracheal Injury by Endoscopic Stent Placement: Case Report and Review of the Literature.
abstract: Endobronchial stent placement is a novel therapy for treatment of iatrogenic tracheal tears. A review of the available literature shows surgery and long-term intubation being the established treatment strategy. We describe the case of a 64-year-old woman with a tracheal rupture following endotracheal intubation for routine surgery. Pneumo-mediastinum and chest pain were the predominant symptoms. She was treated with a covered self-expandable metal stent that closed the tear and led to immediate symptom relief. After six weeks and complete healing of the trachea, the stent could be explanted. No stent complications occurred. A new algorithm for the treatment of these ruptures has been proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Klinikum Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geltner
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Klinikum Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Likar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Klinikum Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hausegger
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Klinikum Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rauter
keywords: anesthesia; benign lesion; bronchial disease; stent; tracheal injury