A Case of Reconstructive Surgery for Extensive Tracheal Defect after Resection of Thyroid Cancer with Tracheal Invasion

Abstract

  In general, patients with thyroid cancer invading multiple organs have a poor prognosis. In particular, thyroid cancer that has invaded the trachea may require resection of a wide section of the trachea, which often makes tracheal reconstruction difficult. Despite numerous reports on tracheal reconstruction, no standard technique has been established.　
  We performed a two-stage tracheal reconstruction after initial tracheal wall reconstruction using transplantation of costal cartilage and a free forearm flap in a patient with tracheal invasion from thyroid cancer who had undergone partial tracheal resection. This resulted in a good outcome with no narrowing of the tracheal lumen after reconstruction and excellent cosmetic results. Our findings suggest that this reconstruction method is safer and more reliable than other reconstruction methods for patients with tracheal invasion of thyroid cancer.