Objective To summarize the clinical experiences in treating primary tracheal tumors by surgery, so as to improve the results of surgical treatment. Methods The clinical data concerning 22 surgically treated patients were retrospectively analyzed. Four patients tumor were benign and eighteen cases’s tumor was malignant. Tracheal resections and end to end anastomosis were performed in 14 cases, carinal resection was performed in 4 cases, lateral tracheal wall resection was performed in 1 case, local scrape were performed in 2 cases, tumor was resected transfiberoptic bronchoscopy in 1 case. Tracheal resectable length was from 2.0cm to 5.2cm，and the average resectable length was 3.8cm in operation. Results 17 cases had been misdiagnosised ( 77.3%) in outpatient department. It was easy to be misdiagnosised as asthma. One case died of respiratory failure after operation in 30 days. The complication rate was 31.8%, complications consist of pneumonia in 4 cases, anastomosis leakage in 1 case and chylothorax in 2 cases. Anastomosis stenosis was found in 3 cases, the syndromes were improved after treatment.Twenty cases were followed up from 1 month to 8 years. Four cases with benign tumors were still alive. Among 16 cases with malignant tumors, 6 cases had survived more than 5 years， 3 cases died of brain, liver, bone metastasis of malignant tumors. Conclusion Surgical resection is the most effective treatment of tracheal tumors. Tracheal resection and reconstruction is the main choice of primary tracheal tumors treatment. Benign tumors can be resected conservatively. The reductions of operative complications are the key points of good surgical results. To know the characteristic of primary tracheal tumors well can reduce the misdiagnosis rate.
Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support the airway reconstruction for the patients with airway obstruction or stenosis who cannot be ventilated routinely. Methods There were 3 patients received trachea reconstruction procedures assisted by ECMO. Among the patients, 2 cases with tracheal neoplasms underwent fibrobrochoscopy treatments, another one with endotracheal stenosis and fistula received tracheoplasty and semi-tracheostomy. Results ECMO can provide enough oxygenation for the patients with airway obstruction or stenosis and more time for advanced therapies. All three patients recovered after interventional surgeries, in whom one case died due to multiple organ failure caused by esophageal carcinoma metastasis after 3 months, and the others survived with dyspnea classification of 2-3 grade. Conclusion ECMO can be a safe and effective approch for the patients who cannot be ventilated conventionally in airway reconstruction.