Commentary: The search for a breakthrough in tracheal replacement surgery: The good, the bad, and the downright ugly

Abstract

The long-standing search for a tracheal reconstruction substitute, which emanates from the paucity of viable surgical options for many patients with tracheal neoplasms and segmental stenoses, represents a modern-day tracheal surgery quest for the Holy Grail. Approaches have ranged from ill-conceived attempts at allogeneic transplantation1 to complex techniques (sometimes mind-boggling) for autologous and allogeneic tissue replacements,2,3 and ultimately to primarily technology-driven, tissue-engineered airway substitutes.