Iatrogenic tracheal stenosis following endotracheal intubation: a study of 20 clinical cases

The authors report a case review series of 20 patients with tracheal stenosis after prolonged oral or nasotracheal intubation who underwent surgical treatment between 1995 and 1999. Seventeen were male (85%) and three (15%) were female. The age varied between 9 and 68 years (32.8 +/- 14.9 years). The stenotic area of the airway was limited to the trachea, and its length varied between 2 and 5 cm (3.3 +/- 1.2 cm.). All patients were treated surgically with an external approach for reconstruction after stenosis ablation. Follow up was at three and six months after surgery there were: 16 cases with (80%) good results, two (10%) with satisfactory results and two unsatisfactory (10%). We found a statistically significant correlation (Spearman correlation) of 5% level between the period of tracheal intubation and patient's age (R = 0.478, p = 0.033).