Repermeabilización de la vía aérea con prótesis traqueobronquiales: 300 casos

to report interventions carried out to treat obstruction of the airways in 300 patients at the respiratory endoscopy unit, tornu hospital, buenos aires. materials: the study was a retrospective review of reports on bronchoscopies carried out in 300 patients with total or partial obstruction of the airways due to benign or malignant conditions between 15 september 1997 and 31 december 2009. the study included patients with signs of benign tracheal stenosis, i.e. with a lumen diameter reduced to 8 mm or less, all cases of benign bronchial stenosis compromising 50% of the lumen, and patients with endotracheobronchial tumors obstructing 50% or more of the lumen. patients who could be treated through surgical resection and those who had images of lung compromise or distal bronchial obstruction were excluded. also patients with pleural effusion or atelectasis for more than two months were excluded. results: among the 300 patients, 115 were females (38.33%) and 185 males (61.66%) from 14 to 86 years of age. mean age was 52 years ± 16.26. the obstruction was solved in 96.33% of 388 interventions. stents were well tolerated in 99.68% of cases and non metallic silicone prostheses in 100% of cases. the complication rate was 6.32%; hemorrhage was the most frequent complication. case fatality attributable to the therapeutic intervention was 0.25%. conclusions: rigid bronchoscopy was effective in treating obstructions of the airways; the overall success rate, irrespective of the etiology of the obstruction, was more than 96%; case fatality was very low. the silicone prostheses designed for stenosis are certainly more effective than right models for the treatment of benign tracheal stenoses.