Tracheal Ceramic Rings for Tracheomalacia: A Review After 17 Years

Background: Despite different support techniques, the surgical management of tracheomalacia is still a challenging problem. Satisfactory results after internal stenting are above 80%, whereas, when performing external stenting using biocompatible ceramic rings, results are reported at over 90%. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficiency of surgical treatment in patients with segmentary tracheomalacia using external ceramic ring grafts. Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected data from 12 patients who underwent surgery during the last 17 years for symptomatic segmentary tracheomalacia by use of biocompatible aluminum-oxide ceramic rings. All except one pati…