Background: Interventional rigid bronchoscopy for tracheobronchial stenosis can be performed under total intravenous anesthesia and spontaneous-assisted ventilation. Intraoperative hypoxemia can occur during this procedure, but the incidence and risk factors have not yet been determined.
Methods: Medical records of patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy for the treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis under total intravenous anesthesia and spontaneous-assisted ventilation during the study period from January 2011 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: There were 126 patients who underwent 263 procedures. The 2 main causes of tracheobronchial stenosis were tuberculosis (41.3%) and malignancy (35.7%). The 2 main locations of stenotic area were the trachea (58.6%) and the left main bronchus (46.4%). Tracheobronchial dilatation and stent insertion were performed in 78.7% and 21.3% of patients, respectively. The incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia was 25.5%. Independent risk factors for intraoperative hypoxemia were a degree of tracheal stenosis ≥75% (odds ratio: 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-5.17) and tumor removal procedure (odds ratio: 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-7.41).
Conclusions: Incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia during interventional rigid bronchoscopy for tracheobronchial stenosis under spontaneous-assisted ventilation was 25.5%. Risk factors for hypoxemia were a degree of tracheal stenosis ≥75% and tumor removal procedure.