Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Benign tracheal stenosis, as a complication of intubation or tracheotomy, is a rare but life-threatening condition. Surgical resection with end-to-end anastomosis is considered the standard treatment, when possible, providing satisfactory results in over 90% of cases. However, limited research has focused on assessing the subjective perception of quality of life (QoL) following this surgical intervention. METHODS: This study involved patients who underwent surgical treatment for tracheal stenosis at the Thoracic Surgery Unit of Pisa over a 10-year period, including 12 patients treated after March 2020 during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. A dedicated mixed-method questionnaire was administered to evaluate short-term perceived QoL across three domains: general functionality, organ-specific functionality and psychological well-being. The assessment was performed both before surgery (PRE-period) and 3 months after surgery (POST-period). RESULTS: The study included 22 patients and found a significant overall improvement in QoL following surgery, with a mean total score reduction of -14.64 (95% CI: -18.45 to 10.90, P < 0.001). General functionality and psychological well-being scores improved notably, with POST-PRE differences of -7.59 (95% CI: -9.22 to 5.68, P = 0.015) and -3.18 (95% CI: -4.22 to 1.91; P = 0.046), respectively. Patients with a history of Covid-19 showed greater improvements in general functionality (P = 0.042) and psychological well-being (P = 0.043) than others. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention for tracheal stenosis significantly enhances perceived patients' QoL, particularly in general functionality and psychological well-being areas. The results indicate that patients with a history of Covid-19 may experience a more pronounced recovery. Despite the risk of early postoperative complications, the overall improvement in QoL supports the effectiveness of surgical treatment.