Professor and Chairman The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, Pennsylvania
Objective: To Review the methods and technique for achieving human vascularized tracheal transplantation.
Method: We performed 30 years of basic science research followed by a series of human tracheal allograft procurements without the intent to transplant to prepare for a human vascularized tracheal transplantation. Using the superior thyroid vessels, the inferior thyroid artery, and the esophageal muscularis, we performed a long segment vascularized tracheal transplantation.
Results: One year ago, we performed a 9.5 cm tracheal transplantation for a recipient with an extensive tracheal airway defect. The patient was immunosuppressed with a regimen of tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and steroids. The tracheal allograft integrated without evidence of rejection and the patient has resumed her activities of normal daily living.
Conclusion: In spite of the medical dogma that has persisted for half a century contending that human vascularized tracheal transplantation could not be accomplished, we present a technique for vascularized tracheal transplantation.