A 68-year-old woman, who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery 5 months previously, was presented with cough, breathlessness and an elevated D-dimer. She was initially thought to have suffered a pulmonary embolus. A ventilation/perfusion scan demonstrated tracheal stenosis, which required dilation and endobronchial stent deployment. Tracheal stenosis is a well-recognised complication of endotracheal intubation; however, the onset of symptoms is often insidious and the diagnosis delayed.