Comprehensive treatment of perioperative tracheal stenosis in patients with congenital heart disease

Abstract

Objective To explore the treatment and prognosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children and analyze the experiences of managing different causes. Methods There were 42 boys and 18 girls with a mean age of 4 (1-144) months and a weight range of (6.65±3.40) kg. CHD co-existed with congenital tracheal stenosis (n=39) and softening airway stenosis (n=21). Results Treatment of CHD was combined with tracheal stenosis exclusion (n=28), trachea plasty (n=5) and tracheal stenting (n=1). The outcomes were late postoperative mortality (n=4), mortality after abandoning surgery (n=4) and outpatient follow-up (n=1). All 21 CHD cases of softening airway stenosis required no surgery and became self-cured. Conclusions The major pathogenesis of congenital tracheal stenosis lies in slow growth of tracheal diameter and severe airway obstruction. Although cardiac surgery can not completely improve the symptoms of airway stenosis, tracheoplasty may be added in cases of softening airway stenosis resulting in compressing major blood vessels adjacent to trachea. Key words: Tracheal stenosis; Congenital heart disease; Normothermic heart surgery