Composite hyoid-sternohyoid interposition graft in the surgical treatment of laryngotracheal stenosis

Abstract

This article reports six patients with severe laryngotracheal stenosis. The causes of stenosis were tracheotomy (two cases); prolonged endotracheal intubation (one case); laryngeal trauma (two cases); and surgery with postoperative chemo- and radiotherapy, addressing a thyroid gland follicular adenocarcinoma (one case). Two patients were already tracheotomized. The main postoperative complication was necrosis of the graft in a female patient who had previously undergone treatment for thyroid follicular adenocarcinoma. All patients were decannulated 6 months postoperatively. Five patients were then regularly followed up, but we lost contact with one patient. Comparison between pre- and postoperative pulmonary function testing revealed an increased maximum inspiratory flow (V _i max₅₀) in five cases between 0.57 l/s and 2.18 l/s. A helical scan with 3-dimensional reconstruction of the cervical area in four patients confirmed the presence and preservation of the hyoid bone graft. Four patients remained satisfied with their postoperative voice quality, one patient was dissatisfied, and one patient was not followed up. This technique is effective in adults with severe laryngotracheal stenosis, restricted to the first tracheal rings, providing one takes into consideration the main contraindications of the procedure: past history of radiotherapy and thyroid surgery.