Prosthetic replacement of large defects of the cervical trachea in dogs.

Surgical resection and replacement of a segment of the cervical trachea was performed in 8 mongrel dogs. The replacement was with a porous prosthesis made of Dacron cloth mesh stiffened with a heat-curing polyetherurethane. Ten tracheal rings were resected in each animal to create a complete circumferential defect of the trachea measuring 7 or 8 cm in length depending on the size of the dog. Animals were sacrificed periodically from 3 to 27 months post-reconstruction. The luminal surfaces of the reconstructed tracheae showed respiratory epithelium.