Bronchoscopical Repair of Tracheal Laceration Using Conventional Instrumentation: A Novel Technique

Abstract

Postintubation tracheobronchial laceration is a rare complication of endotracheal intubation. It requires early serial treatment in cases of pneumomediastinum with difficulty in ventilation to prevent mediastinitis and stricture. The surgical access to the posterior tracheal wall depends on the site of the laceration. A right posterolateral thoracotomy is performed for lacerations of the middle-distal trachea and a transcervical approach for the upper third. Either of them is associated with specific postoperative morbidities. We describe a novel technique of exclusively intraluminal repair of postintubation tracheobronchial laceration using conventional endoscopic instrumentation through a 14.1-mm rigid bronchoscope.