Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of anastomotic complications after tracheal resection and reconstruction

What Researchers Did

Five consecutive patients with varying degrees of failed anastomotic healing after tracheal resection were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

What They Found

All five patients showed evidence of anastomotic healing on bronchoscopy, with none requiring tracheostomy, T-tube, or reoperation after HBOT initiation. Healing occurred in an average of 9.6 days (range 5-14 days) for anastomotic defects ranging from 3 to 13 mm. One patient experienced inner ear discomfort and blurry vision, and another developed tracheal stenosis requiring debridement.

Canadian Relevance

This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted outside of Canada.

Study Limitations

The main limitation of this study is its very small sample size of five patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings.