Bronchoscopic Management as an Alternative Treatment In Non Operable Benign Tracheal Stenosis

Abstract

ndoluminal therapy either by dilatation or stent insertion is an established treatment for non malignant airway stenosis although surgical approach is still considered the “golden standard”. No clear consensus exists on the structured role of each modality. We aimed to investigate the role of bronchoscopic management in non operable tracheal stenosis cases, evaluating effectiveness and safety of each procedure based on a structured algorithmic approach. This prospective study was carried out on consecutive (40) patients diagnosed with tracheal stenosis between March 2017 to March 2020. All strictures were first evaluated by flexible bronchoscopy and were classified as simple or complex. Patients were treated according to the therapeutic algorithm approach we developed based on published evidence and our own expertise. The mean age of study population was 45.25 ± 18.79; Lesions were classified as simple (14) and complex (24) while two patients had mixed type stenosis. Success rate was 100% in simple stenosis and 87.5 % in the complex ones. Stents were deployed in 24 cases, most of which were of the complex type and only 2 of the simple type. Post procedural complications were detected overall in 70% of the patients. All complications were non-life threatening, mostly stent-related and were effectively managed.