Multidisciplinary Approach to Foreign Body Removal of a Displaced Metal Tracheal Cannula with Airway Stenosis: a Case Report

• Published in: The Journal of the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 165 - 170
• Main Authors: Fujiwara, Ayako, Takami, Koji, Ando, Seijitsu, Kimura, Takeshi, Miyamoto, Satoru, Ogawara, Mitsumasa, Ojima, Masahiro, Shimakawa, Noriko, Inoue, Atsuo, Kuriyama, Keiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy 25.03.2022
• Subjects: Airway stenosis; Foreign body removal
• ISSN: 0287-2137; 2186-0149
• DOI: 10.18907/jjsre.44.2_165

Background. Extra care should be taken to ensure safe removal of foreign bodies in the airway of patients with airway stenosis. Case. A woman in her 80s who had undergone permanent tracheostomy after thyroid surgery 60 years earlier visited our emergency department because of dislodgement of the metal tracheal cannula into the trachea during self-replacement. Chest computed tomography showed airway stenosis above the tracheostoma site. After discussion with a multidisciplinary team that included specialists from the general emergency, anesthesia, respiratory medicine, and respiratory surgery departments, foreign body removal using a flexible bronchoscope was performed under preparation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to prevent asphyxiation. Conclusion. Extra care must be taken when removing foreign bodies from the trachea of patients with airway stenosis. We were able to successfully perform safe removal due to a multidisciplinary discussion of the extraction method with a back-up plan in the event of respiratory failure.