TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A team from National Taiwan University Hospital performed tracheal repair using a frozen donated aorta, enabling tracheal cartilage regeneration and marking a major advance in chest surgery.
At a forum hosted by the National Science and Technology Council on Wednesday, the hospital said that tracheal reconstruction caused by tumors or trauma remains a major challenge in chest surgery. Since performing Asia’s first case in 2021 using a donated aorta to treat tracheal narrowing, the hospital has completed six cases, per CNA.
Chen Jin-shing (陳晉興), head of the hospital’s surgery department, said the adult trachea is about 12 cm long, and no more than 6 cm can be removed when major trauma or tumors require surgery. If the affected area is too large, people may need a breathing tube inserted in the neck and could have serious difficulty speaking.
The trachea extends across the neck and chest, making it challenging to reconnect if the damage is extensive, Chen noted. The team also experimented with 3D-printed tracheas for reconstruction, but compatibility issues arose.
Hung Wan-ting (洪琬婷), another surgeon at the hospital, said the donor aorta helps the individual grow new tracheal cartilage. Proteins in the aorta that support cell growth and tissue repair also prompt the cartilage to develop further.
Chen added that using a donor aorta for trachea reconstruction avoids immune rejection. A temporary stent is needed to support the trachea until the cartilage fully develops, but it may cause complications like tissue overgrowth.
He said the team will continue studying ways to speed up cartilage regeneration following the aorta graft. They also plan to extract cells from the aorta to treat arthritis caused by cartilage wear in some seniors. In addition, the team will explore whether pig aortas could be used for transplantation to help ease the shortage of donor aortas.
The hospital thanked the council for funding the procedure, which can cost up to NT$1 million (US$31,800) per surgery. The support also helps people with tracheal damage cover the cost.
