Vol.95 No.9 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 95 No. 9 September 2002
Tracheal Reconstruction after Wide-Excision
of Trachea
Tetsuaki Kubota and Yoshiyuki Kadokura
(Showa University)
This study evaluated tracheal reconstruction using an artificial trachea made of collagen. We reviewed studies using animal models to investigate the feasibility of tracheal reconstruction.
Although recent surgical techniques allow the repair of the trachea following wide-excision, invasive procedures tend to become more extensive than theoretically required, resulting in a variety of disadvantages. In the head and neck region, few cases of total circumferential excision have been reported. The emergence of methods for easy reconstruction is anticipated.
Tracheal reconstruction using artificial tracheas, tracheal regeneration and cryopreserved-tracheal transplantation have been studied recently. Although various artificial tracea products have been developed, the use of foreign bodies is associated with problems. The emergence of artificial tracheas using biomaterials for regenerative medicine has therefore been anticipated.
In addition, tracheal transplantation poses problems related to the availability of donors. The feasibility of this latter method is therefore uncertain. If adequate accumulation of tracheas occurs, tracheal transplantation will be as easy as the use of artificial tracheas.
Key words : tracheal reconstruction, artificial trachea, trachea made of collagen