Simultaneous management of congenital tracheal stenosis and cardiac anomalies in infants

The present article aims to describe our experience with patients who underwent simultaneous repair of congenital tracheal stenosis and cardiac anomalies. Between January 2000 and December 2003, 9 infants underwent simultaneous surgical repair of a congenital tracheal stenosis and congenital heart disease. The intraoperative findings revealed localized tracheal stenosis in 3 patients. The funnel-type tracheal stenosis was present in 6 patients. Associated cardiac anomalies included ostium secundum atrial septal defect in 5 patients and ventricular septal defect in 2 patients, pulmonary artery sling in 4 patients, patent ductus arteriosus in 6 patients, atrioventricular septal defect in 1 patient, aortic arch hypoplasia in 1 patient, coarctation of the aorta in 1 patient, and partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in 2 patients, one of them with “scimitar syndrome.” Tracheal origin of the right upper lobe was diagnosed in 2 of the patients. A right aberrant subclavian artery (lusoria) was found in one patient. All patients were operated on through a median sternotomy and with cardiopulmonary bypass. Tracheal resection with direct end-to-end anastomosis was performed in all cases. There was no operative mortality. One patient died 6 weeks postoperatively. Eight patients were extubated between the 14th and 30th postoperative days under bronchoscopic monitoring. The extubation was performed after a stepwise respirator-weaning program. Postoperative endoscopic examination showed adequate airway dimensions and patency in every case. The midterm results after a mean follow-up of 37 months (range, 16-58 months) of the entire group demonstrate a stabile and complication-free clinical outcome. We advocate our current strategy for infants with congenital tracheal stenosis: resection with end-to-end anastomosis and simultaneous repair of associated intracardiac anomalies.