Management of benign airway stenosis-predictors of tracheal resection

Background: Benign airway stenoses are complex disorders that present with progressive dyspnoea, stridor, and significant respiratory distress. These conditions have a high recurrence rate and despite the plethora of endoscopic and open techniques available for treatment, the outcomes are variable. Our primary was to determine the pre-operative factors associated with an increased hazard of cricotracheal resection (CTR)/tracheal resection (TR) and reconstruction in cases of benign subglottic and tracheal strictures.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of all patients ages 16 years and over with benign subglottic and tracheal stenoses that underwent endoscopic or surgical treatment at our institution between 2008 and 2022.

Results: Ninety-seven patients were included in our series, with a strong female preponderance (n=79; 81%). Forty-one patients underwent formal resection and reconstruction, and 56 patients were managed conservatively. Subglottic stenosis (SGS) was the most common site of disease in the trachea (79%), and the common aetiology of all stenoses was idiopathic (52%). The median interval between first dilatation and formal resection was 5 [interquartile range (IQR), 0-173] months. Pre-operative tracheostomy rate was significantly higher in those who underwent TR (51% vs. 18%, P<0.001) yet the number of dilatations was equivocal between the surgical and non-surgical groups (P=0.30). The most significant independent predictors of TR were pre-operative tracheostomy, advanced Myer-Cotton grading and an increased number of involved airway subsites. Risk modelling using these parameters identified a low and a high-risk group for TR and the latter had a significantly reduced time to resection (P<0.001).

Conclusions: Benign airway stenoses are a heterogeneous group of conditions which respond to both endoscopic and open surgical airway intervention. The underlying aetiology will influence the treatment paradigm. We found that more complex lesions, patients with pre-operative tracheostomy and previous smoking history conferred a higher hazard for resection.