Left upper lobe bronchus reimplantation for nonpenetrating thoracic trauma

Trauma to the tracheobronchial tree has been diagnosed and treated with inc reasing frequency over the last several decades. However, most reports have dealt with management of injuries to the trachea and main stem bronchi,as approximately 80% of blunt tracheobronchial injuries occur within this area . With few exceptions, injury to the lobar bronchi has resulted in thoracot omy and lobectomy. We describe a patient with an injury to the left upper l obe bronchus who presented with delayed obstruction of the airway by fibrog ranulation tissue. A successful segmental resection of the bronchial occlus ion with reimplantation was performed, thereby preserving the patient's oth erwise normal left upper lobe. This case demonstrates that resection and re implantation of an injured lobar bronchus are feasible, even in a delayed s etting. (C) 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.