Interventional Pulmonology: Approaches to the Treatment of Benign Subglottic and Tracheal Stenosis

Benign subglottic/tracheal stenosis is a condition that negatively impacts patient quality of life and often morbidity. In cases of benign tracheal stenosis, a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to treatment has been shown to result in the best outcomes with respect to successful management and recurrence rate. Interventional Pulmonology (IP) physicians work in conjunction with other specialties to manage these conditions. The procedures employed by IP physicians incorporate techniques via rigid bronchoscopy, flexible bronchoscopy, and occasionally hybrid approaches. Often, multiple modalities are utilized during a case, including mechanical dilation (rigid scope and balloon), laser therapies, electrocautery, spray cryotherapy, and pharmacologic therapies. The goal is to reduce the risk of restenosis and/or palliate symptoms in patients who may not be operative candidates for short-segment tracheal stenosis or laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction.