Partial transplantation of trachea with preservation of vascular supply: experimental study with and without immunosuppression in animal models

Abstract

Introduction. Prolonged tracheal intubation can cause stenosis. In extensive lesions, they have performed transplants or prosthesis placement without good results. Transplantation frequently evolves with necrosis, delayed healing, and ischemia. The anterior segment of the tracheal wall was transplanted to preserve the vascular supply of the trachea. Objectives. Verify that the transplant of a previous patch of the trachea, allows to expand the tracheal lumen in its anterior part and overcome the problems derived from the complete transplant or the insertion of prosthesis and evaluate the viability, macroscopic and microscopic changes of the transplant in two groups of rabbits, one of which will receive treatment with immunosuppressants. Methods. Experimental, prospective, randomized and controlled study. We used 15 rabbits of exocriated strains. In 5, autotransplantation was performed to standardize the surgical technique. In 10, an alotransplant of the anterior wall of the trachea was performed, 5 of which were administered ciclosporin. Euthanasia was performed 15 days postoperatively, for macro and microscopic study. Results. All rabbits evolved satisfactorily. There was no significant difference between those who received immunosuppression and those who did not receive it, when loss of epithelium, granulation tissue, lymphocyte infiltration and fibroproliferation was evaluated. If there was luminal occlusion due to inflammatory causes. When evaluating vascular hyalinosis, vascular stricture, endothelitis and lymphangiectasis there was no significant difference. In none was tissue necrosis found. There were numerous permeable capillaries in the transplanted segment and conservation of the epithelium. Conclusions. The segmental transplantation of the anterior wall of the trachea allowed to enlarge the tracheal lumen with vascular preservation of the graft and good viability, macro and microscopic. Postoperative evolution was good in both groups.