Single-stage long-segment tracheal transplantation.
Eric M GendenBrett A MilesTimothy J HarkinSamuel DeMariaAndrew J KaufmanErica MaylandVivian F KaulSander S FlormanPublished in: American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (2021)
Tracheal transplantation has been envisioned as a viable option for reconstruction of long-segment tracheal defects. We report the first human single-stage long-segment tracheal transplantation. Narrow-band imaging and bronchoscopic biopsies demonstrate allograft vascularization and viable epithelial lining. The recipient was immunosuppressed with Tacrolimus, Mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids. Six months after transplantation, the trachea is both functional and the patient is breathing without the need of a tracheostomy or stent.