Laryngotracheal reconstruction with autogenous rib cartilage graft for complex laryngotracheal stenosis and/or anterior neck defect

Establishing safe high hydrostatic pressure devitalization thresholds for autologous head and neck cancer vaccination and reconstruction

High hydrostatic pressure specifically devitalizes cells and tissues without major changes in their molecular structure. Hence, high hydrostatic pressure may enhance the development of whole-cell anti-tumor vaccines, representing tumor heterogeneity and thus (neo-) antigen diversity. Moreover, safe devitalization of tumor-infiltrated supporting tissue may facilitate reimplantation for functional reconstruction. However, precise high hydrostatic pressure thresholds for safe cancer cell killing are unknown. Here, we show that high hydrostatic pressure of at least 450 MPa is necessary to safely devitalize head and neck squamous cell cancer. A pressure of 300 MPa, which has been used frequently in cancer vaccine preparation, resulted in partial devitalization with 27% live cells in flow cytometry and 4% remaining autofluorescence in cell culture after one week. The remaining cells could form vital tumors in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. In contrast, 450 MPa killed all cells in vitro and prevented tumor outgrowth in ovo. The effectiveness of 450 MPa was attributed to the induction of DNA double-strand breaks, independent of apoptosis, autophagy, or methuosis. Furthermore, 450 MPa continued to induce immunogenic cell death. Our results demonstrate that 450 MPa of high hydrostatic pressure induces safe and sustained devitalization of head and neck cancer cells and tissues. Because of the heterogeneity in pressure resistance, we propose our approach as a starting point for determining the precise thresholds for other cancer entities. Further studies on head and neck cancer should focus on immunological co-cultures, combinations of immune checkpoint inhibition, and accurate anatomical reconstruction with pressure-treated autografts.

[Implantation materials in reconstructive surgery of the larynx and trachea]

The article presents a literature review, that analyzes the use of implantation materials in reconstructive plastic surgery of the larynx and trachea in patients with local and extended laryngeal-tracheal stenosis, including lumen obliteration. 48 literature sources were studied. The positive and negative aspects of biological and synthetic implant materials use have been determined. The choice of an implantation material that meets all the demands for the complete restoration of the respiratory tract determines the relevance of the problem raised.

Postoperative outcomes of free myocutaneous flap and pedicled myocutaneous flap for reconstruction in locally invasive thyroid carcinoma

Locally invasive thyroid carcinoma (TC) often involves trachea. In such patients, the trachea needs to be reconstructed after surgery. We discuss the postoperative outcome and complications after trachea reconstruction by free myocutaneous flap (FMF) and pedicled myocutaneous flap (PMF).From January 2009 to September 2019, the clinical data of 38 patients with TC were retrospectively analyzed. Demographics, pathologic results, neoplasm staging, surgical protocol, decannulation, subjective speech function, and complications were documented.A total of 38 patients were analyzed (22 FMFs and 16 PMFs). Of the 38 patients, there is a similar rate of decannulation (81.8% in FMF and 75% in PMF), subjective speech function and complications.The FMF reconstruction and the PMF reconstruction have a similar result in terms of postoperative outcome and complications.

Dexmedetomidine versus midazolam on cough and recovery quality after partial and total laryngectomy - a randomized controlled trial

Background

During emergence from anesthesia after partial and total laryngectomy, excessive airway reflex and systemic hypertension may lead to subcutaneous emphysema, hemorrhage or pneumothorax.

Methods

American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status III and IV male adults undergoing elective laryngectomy were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either dexmedetomidine (group D) or midazolam (group M). The primary outcome was incidence and severity of cough. Pulse oximetry results (SpO₂), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were also recorded. The visual analog scale and the Ramsay sedation scale were recorded at the points of wakefulness and departure from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Rescue analgesia consumption, the time of spontaneous breath recovery, duration of the PACU stay, and the incidence of adverse effects were also recorded.

Results

The prevalence of no coughing was significantly higher in group D than in group M at the points of wakefulness and departure. HR, SBP, and DBP were significantly lower in group D compared with group M, and SpO₂ was significantly higher in group D than in group M at the moment of laryngectomy. Pain scores were lower in group D than in group M. The Ramsay score at the point of wakefulness was higher in group D than in group M. There was no difference in time to spontaneous breathing recovery, duration of the PACU stay, and incidence of adverse effects.

Conclusions

Compared with midazolam, dexmedetomidine is an effective alternative to attenuate coughing and hemodynamic changes with a low incidence of adverse events during emergence from anesthesia after partial and total laryngectomy.

Trial registration

NCT03918889, registered at clinicaltrials.gov, date of registration: March 28, 2019.

Association Between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Outcomes of Open Airway Reconstruction Surgery in Adults

Importance

Airway reconstruction for adults with laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) is directed toward improving airway caliber to mitigate the patient's dyspnea and achieve prosthesis-free breathing (ie, without tracheostomy, intraluminal stent, or T-tube). Despite the importance of preoperative risk stratification to minimize postoperative complications, consensus on an objective predictive algorithm for open airway reconstruction is lacking.

Objective

To determine whether the ability to achieve a prosthesis-free airway in adults after open airway reconstruction is associated with red blood cell distribution width (RDW) at the time of surgery.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Case series study investigating 92 consecutive patients 18 years and older with laryngotracheal stenosis who underwent open airway reconstruction at a US tertiary care hospital from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2017.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was a prosthesis-free airway (absence of tracheostomy, intraluminal stent, or T-tubes) at last follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify independent factors associated with this outcome.

Results

Of the 92 patients who met inclusion criteria, the median (interquartile range) age was 44 (33.0-60.3) years; 50 (53%) were female, and 82 (89%) were white. In all, 74 patients (80%) were prosthesis free at the last follow-up (mean, 833 days; 95% CI, 10-4229 days). In multivariate analyses, airway decannulation was significantly correlated with reduced RDW (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.84) and the absence of posterior glottic stenosis (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.37).

Conclusions and Relevance

These data suggest that surgical success in open airway reconstruction is significantly associated with RDW and whether the patient had posterior glottic stenosis. The RDW is a routine laboratory parameter that may provide some insight to the preoperative probability of prosthesis removal, facilitate risk stratification, promote informed patient decision making, and optimize health care resource management.

Free posterior tibial artery perforator flap for 2-stage tracheal reconstruction in patients after resection of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma invading the trachea

Background

The present study was conducted to explore the efficacy of using a free posterior tibial artery perforator flap (FPTAPF) for trachea reconstruction after resection of well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) invading the trachea.

Methods

We retrospectively collected and analyzed clinical and surgical data from 14 patients who underwent tracheal reconstruction using a FPTAPF after resection of WDTC invading the trachea between August 2014 and July 2017.

Results

Satisfactory tracheal structure and functional recovery were obtained in 11 of the 14 patients. One patient had breathing difficulties after tracheostomy closure tests because of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve damage caused by disease invasion. Tracheostomy incision was not closed in 2 patients because they received postoperative adjuvant radioactive iodine 131 treatment.

Conclusion

Satisfactory tracheal reconstruction results were achieved in patients with resection of WDTC invading the trachea, indicating that a FPTAPF is a safe and reliable choice for management.

Expression and role of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS in laryngocarcinoma tissues

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cyclin D1 and KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (KRAS) genes serve roles in the occurrence and development of tumors. The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression levels of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS in laryngocarcinoma tissues and their association with clinical features. In addition, correlation between the expression levels of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS was analyzed in laryngocarcinoma tissues. The expression levels of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS in 46 patients with laryngocarcinoma and 20 patients with vocal cord polyps as the control group were determined using Super Vision immunohistochemical staining assay kits. The differences in clinical and pathological parameters between groups were statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0. The expression rates of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS were 71.7, 52.2 and 39.1%, respectively in laryngocarcinoma tissues, and 10.0, 5.0 and 10.0%, respectively in vocal cord polyps. There was a positive correlation between the expression levels of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS. The expression of these genes was also closely associated with the clinical stage, treatment response and prognosis of patients with laryngocarcinoma. Multivariate analysis of prognosis using the Cox regression model indicated that EGFR expression in laryngocarcinoma tissues and the clinical stage of patients with laryngocarcinoma were closely associated with patient prognosis. The results of the current study indicated that EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS were synergistically involved in the occurrence and development of laryngocarcinoma, directly affecting the prognosis of patients. Additionally, high expression of EGFR, cyclin D1 and KRAS facilitated the invasion and metastasis of laryngocarcinoma cells. The expression of EGFR in laryngocarcinoma tissues and clinical stage were two independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients.

Traumatic laryngotracheal stenosis treated by hyoid-sternohyoid osseomuscular flap combined with xenogenic acellular dermal matrix: A case report and literature review

Objective

The treatment of laryngotracheal stenosis is a major therapeutic challenge. Various treatments include observation, medical management, and surgical management. The most effective surgical management is resection and reconstruction. To the authors’ knowledge, no reports have described the use of xenogenic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) for laryngotracheal stenosis.

Methods

A 27-year-old man presented with hemoptysis of the neck due to a traffic accident. Emergency orotracheal intubation was performed. Tracheostomy was then performed under local anesthesia. Computed tomography revealed fractures of the right thyroid cartilage and posterior arc of the cricoid cartilage and stenosis of the subglottis and first and second tracheal rings. We used a composite hyoid–sternohyoid osseomuscular flap with xenogenic ADM and a straight silicone tube as a lumen stent to reconstruct the laryngotracheal stenosis.

Results

Surgical recovery was uneventful. The tracheotomy opening was changed to a metal tube 5 days postoperatively. Four months postoperatively, the silicone tube was endoscopically removed under local anesthesia. The patient was decannulated 20 days later. The patient satisfied with his voice, respiration, and deglutition at the 16-month postoperative follow-up.

Conclusion

The use of ADM for laryngotracheal stenosis may reduce the growth of granulation tissues and promote the repair process.

Construction of tissue-engineered laryngeal cartilage with a hollow, semi-flared shape using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) as a scaffold

The aim of the present study was to construct tissue-engineered laryngeal cartilage with a hollow, semi-flared shape using a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHH) scaffold. Porous PHBHH was prepared and formed into a hollow, semi-flared shape, and the cell-material composites were cultured for one week in vitro prior to implantation in vivo. Cells of the nine rabbits of the experimental group were filled and encapsulated in the myofascial flap-shaping material composite for in situ implantation. The three rabbits in the control group were treated with the shaping material without the chondrocytes. Cartilage regeneration was assessed at six, 12 and 18 weeks after surgery. In the experimental group, the shape and porosity of the material were ideal, the cells exhibited good adhesion with the material and the myofascial flap blood supply was rich. The engineered laryngeal cartilage with the hollow, semi-flared shape was ideally formed, and the cartilage formed at six weeks after the surgery. Further maturation of the cartilage was observed at 12 and 18 weeks after the surgery. PHBHH was a suitable material for the formation of a hollow, semi-flared shape with good cellular compatibility. Myofascial flap filling and wrapping can be used to build tissue-engineered laryngeal cartilage with a hollow, semi-flared shape.

[The experience with the use of the two-step laryngotracheoplasty for the management of subglottic and combined subglottic and upper tracheal cicatrical stenosis in the adult patients]

The objective of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical experience with the use of the two-step laryngotracheoplasty for the treatment of subglottic and combined subglottic and upper tracheal cicatrical stenosis in the adult patients during the period between 2003 and 2012. A total of 13 patients were retrospectively reviewed following the surgical treatment for the management of subglottic and combined subglottic and upper tracheal cicatrical stenosis based at the Lugansk regional clinical hospital. The effectiveness of two-stage laryngotracheoplasty was estimated to be 84.6%. The number of the surgical procedures per patient depended on the extent of tracheal stenosis while the overall rehabilitation period mainly depended on the severity of the concomitant pathologies. The technical aspects and the results of the surgical treatment are discussed.

[Re-evaluation of 191 larynx cancer surgeries according to the Open Partial Horizontal Laryngectomies classification proposed by European Laryngological Society working committee in 2014]

AIM

of study was to present material of open partial horizontal laryngectomies (OPHL) in T1b, T2 and T3 larynx cancer treatment in single tertiary referral institution.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of operating protocols in patients treated in Poznań ENT University Department between 2000-2012 with glottis (T1b - 185, T2 - 185, T3 - 231) and supraglottis tumors (T1 - 80, T2 - 104, T3 - 206), potentially available for organ preservation treatment. Transoral laser microsurgery, OPHL, radiotherapy and total laryngectomy were treatment options in 210, 191, 271 and 326 patients respectively. OPHL was applied in glottic tumors: 21 - T1b, 103 - T2, 27 - T3 and in supraglottic tumors: 4 - T1, 29 - T2. All procedures were re-evaluated acc. to European Laryngogical Society working committee on nomenclature new classification presented in 2014.

RESULTS

There was no discrepancies in supraglottic laryngectomies (4 cases), classified as OPHL Typ I. All the rest: 84 transglottic, 96 supracricoid with CHEP and 7 supracricoid with CHP laryngectomies were re-classified into Typ II (172) and Type III (15) OPHL. Thus, revision of inferior incision changed classification of procedure into supratracheal laryngectomy in 15 cases. Transglottic laryngectomies, in which upper part of thyroid cartilage was preserved and crito-thyreo-pexy was performed (84 pts), have not been distinguished any more. In 7 cases superior incision included epiglottis; thus 165 patients were distinguished as Typ II a and 7 patients as Typ IIb OPHL. The most pronounced difference was stated in description of structures additionally included into surgical specimen: arytenoid (+ARY) in 24, crico-arytenoid-unit (+CAU) in 5 and piriform sinus (+PIR) in 17 cases; none had the base of tongue (+BOT) resected.

CONCLUSIONS

In 36/191 additional structures and in 15/191 the cricoid ring resection was re-evaluated and pointed out. All these data were available retrospectively in the operating protocols but not pronounced in surgery headlines. Thanks to the univocal, simple new classification all operation details can be included into operation title.