Successful decannulation of T-tubes according to type of tracheal stenosis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Although the T-tube has been widely used as a therapeutic method for treatment of tracheal stenosis, predictors for success have not been much studied. The authors analyzed several factors to search for a factor that would be useful as a prognostic indicator for successful decannulation.

METHODS: A total of 41 patients who underwent T-tube insertion from 1995 to 2004 at Yonsei University Health System were included. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively, and several factors regarding the type of stenosis were evaluated.

RESULTS: Age, sex, and multiplicity and severity of stenoses (p = 0.860) were not significantly related to successful decannulation. The longitudinal extent of stenosis had a significant influence on success (p = 0.035), and cases with a greater circumferential involvement tended to result in decannulation failure (p = 0.084).

CONCLUSIONS: The severity of stenosis did not have a statistically significant relationship to the decannulation rate, although it was closely related to the patient's symptoms. The longitudinal extent and the circumferential involvement of stenosis were found to be correlated to the success rate and represented the extent of the damaged mucosal area. Therefore, it was assumed that the extent of the damaged mucosal area could be more important than the area of the granulation tissue or the patients' symptoms in predicting the decannulation of T-tubes.