Transmediastinal Trachea Closure after Dilational Tracheotomy Positioned Too Low Down

Abstract Dilational tracheotomy is a minimally invasive method that can be performed at the bedside on patients requiring long-term mechanical ventilation. In our 70-year-old male patient, percutaneous dilational tracheotomy (Ciaglia Blue Rhino, Cook Medical Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, United States) was performed because of bilateral pneumonia with sepsis. There were no initial problems. Nine days later, while the patient was being repositioned, the tracheal cannula became dislocated. Despite extending the cervical incision it was not possible to recannulate. The tracheal hole could not be felt with certainty by palpating through the incision. After several unsuccessful attempts, the patient was intubated orally. The only way to achieve sufficient ventilation was to hold the tracheostoma closed. Bronchoscopy showed that the entry point of the tracheal cannula was ventral and ∼1.5 cm above the main carina. The tube was then advanced into the right main bronchus and the patient was thus ventilated unilaterally. On exposure of the trachea, a grade 3 goiter was revealed. Total neck length was short. Only after the video mediastinoscope had been inserted was it possible to show the tracheal defect below the brachiocephalic trunk. After blunt mobilization of both main bronchi, it was possible to close the tracheal defect with simple interrupted sutures. Conventional tracheotomy was then performed at the level of the second tracheal ring. As a result, mechanical ventilation was once again possible without difficulty and thoracotomy was not necessary.