Better Technology for Better Health Care

Tumors in the trachea and bronchi can block the airway and cause breathing problems. Most of the tumors that form in the trachea and bronchi in adults are cancerous, but a few are noncancerous.Aanch hospital team is experienced in selecting the appropriate treatments for people with tracheal and bronchial tumors. Treatment may include surgery and bronchoscopic or in combination.Recent technological refinements of the electrodes and the use of high frequency current have made possible safe use of electrocautery through the bronchoscope. Various instruments like Hot Forceps, Snare, Knife powered by cautery can be used for diagnosing and treating endobronchial obstructive lesions like lung cancers, benign tumors, tracheo-bronchial stenosis, sub-glottic stenosis, relapsing polychondritis, amyloidosis, tracheobronchial papillomatosis and Wegener’s granulomatosis. Cautery coagulates the vessels thus reducing bleeding and making removal of vascular lesions possible. The procedure can even be done with a flexible therapeutic bronchoscope thus avoiding need for general anaeshesia or a more invasive surgical procedure. These procedures give patients an instant relief. Argon Plasma Coagulation is the application of heat produced by an electric current to nearby tissue without touching it. This heat will coagulate the tissue and stop bleeding. APC can be used with a flexible bronchoscope for control of bleeding in refractory cases. In many cases of central airway obstruction caused by cancers or benign diseases like tracheal, sub-glottic stenosis and trachea-oesophageal fistula(communication between wind pipe and food pipe), a stent can be placed inside the airway to keep the airway open. This can be done through the bronchoscope using various temporary or permanent stents. Stenting provides a consideable improvement in quality of life of non-surgical patients. This can also be placed after resecting the tumor using electrocautery. We commonly place these stents in our Bronchscopy Suite under fluoroscopy guidance.

Indications:

Lung cancer
Benign tumors
Oesophageal cancer
Thyroid cancer
Head and Neck tumours
Benign tracheal stenosis (Postintubation, Wegener’s ganulomatosis, Relapsing Polychondritis)
Tracheobronchial malacia
Vascular compression