Surgical endoscopy
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Clinical Trial
Bougienage and balloon dilation using a conventional tracheal tube for tracheobronchial stenosis before stent placement.
In order to achieve urgent restoration of the airways in tracheobronchial stenosis and to make stent placement simpler and safer, we developed a method that allows combined bougienage and balloon dilation via the use of a conventional tracheal tube. Fifteen patients with tracheobronchial stenosis underwent bougienage and balloon dilation using a tracheal tube with a cuff attached, inserted via a tracheostomy, before stent placement. The conventional tracheal tube was inserted via a tracheostomy, the cuff was expanded at the stenotic site, and the tube was fixed to the tracheostomy and left in place for a few days until sufficient dilation was achieved. ⋯ Thereafter, Dumon stents were inserted in 10 patients, dynamic stents in four patients, and an expandable metallic stent in one patient. The stents were introduced easily with no other dilation procedure after a mean of 5 days from the start of the procedure. For tracheobronchial stenosis, bougienage and balloon dilation using a tracheal tube with an integral cuff via a tracheostomy is a simple and safe method for achieving both urgent relief of airway stenosis and dilation before stent placement.
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Benzocaine is a commonly used topical anesthetic present in many over-the-counter preparations. The development of methemoglobinemia, associated with the use of benzocaine, is potentially fatal. ⋯ We report two cases of benzocaine-induced methemoglobinemia occurring 3 months apart at the same institution. A brief discussion regarding methemoglobin is presented.