Duration of stenting in single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction with anterior costal cartilage grafts

In single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (ss-LTR), the endotracheal t ube is used as a stent. The optimal duration of stenting is not known. The stenting period requires a stay in the intensive care unit, as the patient is intubated. Sedation and, rarely, paralysis may be required. An analysis from a prospectively collected database was performed to investigate the ef fect of length of stenting on the outcome of ss-LTR. The outcomes used were reintubation rate and postoperative tracheostomy rare. Patients with anter ior costal grab ss-LTR were selected, as they had undergone similar procedu res and have similar stenosis types and grades. In 101 patients, the durati on of stenting ranged from 2 to 14 days (mean, 7 days; SD, 2.6 days). No si gnificant correlation was found between the number of days stented and the reintubation rate or the postoperative tracheostomy rate. Patients stented for longer than 1 week were an average of 15 months younger than those sten ted for less than 1 week; however, the stenosis grades for the two populati ons were equivalent. The differences in rates of reintubation (p = .68) and postoperative tracheostomy (p = .52) in these 2 groups were not significan t. For patients undergoing ss-LTR with anterior costal cartilage grafts, no correlation was found between the number of days stented (intubated) and t he reintubation rate or the postoperative tracheostomy rate.