Reconstruction and its prognosis in patients undergoing resection of tracheal bifurcation

Seventeen resections of tracheal bifurcation were performed: 12 for bronchogenic carcinoma, 2 for primary neoplasm of the trachea, one each for pulmonary sarcoma, inflammatory lesion and metastatic thyroid carcinoma. We performed carinal reconstruction in eight patients, sleeve pneumonectomy in eight patients and wedge pneumonectomy in one. In patients undergoing carinal reconstruction, there were 2 operative deaths and six patients survived over five years after the operation. However, in patients undergoing sleeve (wedge) pneumonectomy, there were 3 operative deaths, four patients died from 3 months to 7 months, and only two patients survived 5 years after the operation. Carinal resection with pneumonectomy had poorer prognosis than carinal reconstruction.