Safety and Outcomes of Surgical Resection in Primary Tracheal Tumors: A Single-Center Experience

Abstract

Introduction:

Primary tracheal tumors are rare pathologies that pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to their low incidence, nonspecific symptoms, and technical complexity of surgical management. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and oncological results of patients treated for primary tracheal tumors at a single experienced center.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients who underwent surgical treatment for primary tracheal tumors between October 2010 and October 2025. Patients treated for tracheal stenosis or managed with nonsurgical modalities alone were excluded. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, surgical approaches, perioperative outcomes, pathological findings, adjuvant treatments, and survival data were analyzed.

Results:

Nineteen patients (63.2% female, 36.8% male) with a mean age of 58.4 years were included. Surgical approach was individualized according to tumor localization and consisted of collar incision, collar incision combined with partial sternotomy, thoracotomy, or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. No difference was seen in the means of complication, survival, operation time, or length of hospital stay between continuous or interrupted sutures with PDS or polypropylene materials. Postoperative complications occurred in three patients (15.8%), including wound infection in two patients and anastomotic dehiscence complicated by pneumonia in one patient, which resulted in postoperative mortality. Malignant pathology was identified in 84.2% of patients, and selected cases with tumor-positive surgical margins received adjuvant radiotherapy. No tumor recurrence was observed, and 89.5% of patients were alive at the end of follow-up. Mean overall survival was 157.7 months.

Conclusions:

In the management of primary tracheal tumors, early diagnosis, appropriate patient selection, surgical treatment performed in experienced centers, and the use of a multimodal treatment approach when indicated constitute the key determinants of successful oncological and functional outcomes.