Division of Vascular Ring

A six-month-old girl presented with inspiratory stridor, difficulty feeding, and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. On evaluation, she had a double aortic arch forming a vascular ring, compressing the esophagus and trachea. Surgical division of the vascular ring was planned to relieve the compression of the esophagus and trachea. A left posterolateral thoracotomy was done. The vascular ring was identified and divided distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. The ductus arteriosus was also excised. After division, the compression of esophagus and trachea were relieved, and the patient was extubated on the second postoperative day. She was discharged home on the eighth postoperative day. The child is now asymptomatic. Suggested ReadingBecit N, Erkut B, Karaca Y. Vascular ring: tracheoesophageal compression associated with symmetrical double aortic arch. Tex Heart Inst J. 2008;35(2):209-210.