Complete subglottic tracheal stenosis managed with rigid bronchoscopy and T-tube placement

• Main Authors: Kuruswamy Thurai Prasad, Sahajal Dhooria, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Ashutosh Nath Aggarwal, Ritesh Agarwal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Lung India
• Subjects: Airway stent; central airway obstruction; interventional pulmonology; rigid bronchoscopy; tracheal stenosis
• Online Access: http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2016;volume=33;issue=6;spage=661;epage=663;aulast=Prasad
• ISSN: 0970-2113; 0974-598X

Surgery is the preferred treatment modality for benign tracheal stenosis. Interventional bronchoscopy is used as a bridge to surgery or in instances when surgery is not feasible or has failed. Stenosis in the subglottic trachea is particularly a treatment challenge, in view of its proximity to the vocal cords. Herein, we describe a patient with complete tracheal stenosis in the subglottic region, which developed after prolonged intubation and mechanical ventilation. The patient developed recurrent stenosis despite multiple surgical and endoscopic procedures. We were able to manage the patient successfully with rigid bronchoscopy and Montgomery T-tube placement.