Ann Clin Surg | Volume 2, Issue 2 | Case Report | Open Access
Mrinmayee D*, Itumeleng T and Shungu M
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, South Africa
*Correspondance to: Mrinmayee D,
Fulltext PDFVascular rings are an uncommon, but important, set of conditions to explore in infants suffering from recurrent respiratory or esophageal symptoms, especially those who present within six months of age. Vascular rings may be isolated or be associated with other congenital heart conditions. Most vascular rings are surgically correctable, and can result in improved quality of life for the infant. Comprehensive pre-operative imaging is a necessity for good surgical outcome and majority of patients report near-complete or complete cessation of symptoms post-operatively. Delays in surgical resection can result in patients presenting later in life with tracheomalacia or worsening respiratory or esophageal symptoms. We report a child who presented with persistent respiratory tract infections since birth, and was found to have a tight vascular ring causing tracheal stenosis on computed tomographic imaging during investigation by Otorhinolaryngology for laryngomalacia. Following full pre-operative assessment and imaging, the child underwent a left sided thoracotomy to divide the vascular ring. Post-operatively, there was a complete resolution of stridor, with no short-term complications. Though vascular rings are a rarity, it is important to have a good understanding about the condition, investigations required and treatment modalities.
Mrinmayee D, Itumeleng T, Shungu M. A Case of Double Aortic Arch. Ann Clin Surg. 2021; 2(2): 1020..