Testing the limits of neonatal tracheal resection.

Obstructive lesions of the trachea in infants can be life-threatening because secretions or mucosal inflammation can easily obstruct the tiny compromised airway, and distal obstruction cannot be relieved by an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube. The principles of tracheal resection in adults are well established. The limits of tracheal resection in neonates are unknown. We present a case in which at least two-thirds of the trachea was resected successfully in a neonate.