Laser ablation is a palliative procedure used on patients with airway obstruction.  It is not a cure, but used mainly to help patients with various diseases breath better.  Causes of airway obstruction include: post-intubation injury, tracheomalacia, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, trauma, stenosis, and fistulas.  There are a variety of stents used in this procedure, including metallic stents and silicone stents.  

Pre-Operative Details:

Your surgeon will give specific instructions before the surgery, including risks (i.e. bleeding, infection, adverse reaction to anesthesia, etc.).  Please make sure to contact your insurance company for coverage.  You will also meet with the anesthesiologist prior to the surgery to go over your medical history.  Please do not eat after midnight the night before your surgery.  On the day of surgery, you will arrive at the hospital, get registered, and get changed into a hospital gown.  A nurse will then review your chart to make sure there are no problems and then get all the paperwork in order for surgery.  The anesthesiologist will then start an IV and you will be taken to the operating room, where the surgeon will verify your name and procedure before any medication is given.  Once you are under anesthesia, surgery will begin.

Operative Details:

The surgeon will use a bronchoscope (a camera device that can be inserted through the mouth into the airway) to visualize the trachea and its bronchi using the monitor.  Once an obstruction site is reached, the surgeon may choose to deploy a stent after the laser treatment.  A fiberoptic wire is then placed through the bronchoscope tube to the stricture site and a high-beam laser is transmitted to open up the airway.  The airway will be checked for complications and bleeding, and then the brochoscope will be removed.

Post-Operative Details:

After the surgery, you will be taken to the post-operative/recovery area or the intensive care unit and be monitored. The length of your hospital stay depends on how quickly you are able to recover and perform some physical activity as well as your underlying disease status.  Please let your doctor know if you have any problems, as complications for this procedure include pneumonia, lung collapse, stent malfunction (migration/dislodged), and pneumothorax.  Your surgeon will give specific instructions about recovery time.