Abstract:

Objective   To discuss the causes and ways of reoperation for foreign bodies in the trachea and bronchus, and to explore measures to avoid reoperation. Methods   Data of 46 cases, who had been bronchoscopied 2 times for trachea-bronchial foreign body, were reviewed. The causes and ways of reoperations were analyzed, and measures to avoid reoperation were explored. Results   In 46 cases, 16 cases were diagnosed within 24 hours, 9 cases in 1 week, and 21 cases after one week. 12 cases were bonchoscopied immediately they visited doctors because of  difficult respiration,  while 26 cases were bronchoscopied within days, and the other 8 cases were bronchoscopied at a designated time. In 27 cases, foreign bodies were discovered in the trachea and/or bronchus, which were removed during the first operation. However, in 6 cases, foreign bodies failed to be retrieved. Operations were aborted in 3 patients because of the bleeding in the bronchus. There were 10 cases with no foreign body discovered during the first operation. All the first operations were performed by doctors with a Negus bronchoscope. But for the second operations, three methods, including a Negus bronchoscope, fibro-bronchoscope and thoracotomies, were applied. During the second operations, foreign bodies were rediscovered in 36 cases, but not in the other 10 cases. Conclusions   For the cases with foreign body in trachea and/or bronchus, whether the foreign body had been found or not during the first operation, reoperation should be recommended if the foreign body remains suspected. Sufficient preparations can reduce the possibility of reoperation.

Key words: Foreign body; Trachea; Bronchus; Symptoms; Signs; Operation and reoperation; Ways of operation and reoperation