Abstract
Reconstruction of the tracheal wall after removal of the tracheal cartilage has been a difficult problem. We were used to apply autograft cartilage for tracheal wall reconstruction. However, to remove the cartilage tissue need extra surgical works. Moreover, cartilage tissue is too fragile to keep the tracheal wall in position.
Since the bio-compatibility of the ceramics tissue has been proved in various medical fields, we used the ceramics tissue to reconstruct the tracheal wall instead of autograft cartilage tissue. As a result, not only the easiness to manuplate, but also the rigidity of this tissue have been proved to be the advantageous point. In this case, after resection of thyroid carcinoma, tracheal defect was anterior and lateral walls in the 1st and 2nd tracheal rings, and anterior wall in the 3rd and 4th tracheal rings. We used two pieces of the hydroxyl apatite in the subcutaneous space in place of the tracheal cartilage. At least after one year observation, post operative course has been uneventful and the result has been encouraging.
We recommend to use the ceramics tissue as an artificial cartilage wall instead of the autograft cartilage tissue.
