Airway collapse hinders recovery in bronchoscopy therapy for postintubation tracheal stenosis patients

Expiratory central airway collapse (ECAC) following postintubation airway stenosis (PITS) is a rare phenomenon. The impact of airway malacia and collapse on the prognosis and the success rate of bronchoscopic interventional therapy in patients with PITS had been inadequately investigated. The aim of this research was to assess the influence of airway malacia and collapse on the efficacy of bronchoscopic interventional therapy in patients with PITS. This retrospective analysis examined the medical documentation of individuals diagnosed with PITS who underwent bronchoscopic intervention at the tertiary interventional pulmonology center of Emergency General Hospital from 2014 to 2021. Data pertaining to preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative stages were documented and subjected to analysis. The patients in malacia and collapse group (MC group) exhibited a higher frequency of perioperative complications, including intraoperative hypoxemia, need for reoperation within 24 h, and postoperative intensive care unit admission rate (P < 0.05, respectively). Meanwhile, patients in group MC demonstrated significantly worse postoperative scores (higher mMRC score and lower KPS score) compared to those in pure stenosis group (P < 0.05, respectively), along with higher degrees of stenosis after treatment and a lower success rate of bronchoscopic intervention therapy cured (P < 0.05, respectively). Pearson analysis results showed that these terms were all significantly correlated with the occurrence of airway malacia and collapse in the airway (P < 0.05, respectively). The presence of malacia or collapse in patients with PITS was associated with increased perioperative complications following bronchoscopic interventional therapy, and significantly reduced the long-term cure rate compared to patients with pure tracheal stenosis. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 06/12/2021. Registration number: ChiCTR2100053991.