The development of modern anesthesia techniques involving the ventilation of the patient's lungs and the use of tracheal tubes in intensive care and anesthesia was a great impetus to the development of surgery in general. The types of procedures carried out on the trachea that require general anesthesia are rigid bronchoscopy, tracheal stenting and excision of tracheal stenosis or tumors. Rigid bronchoscopy can be used for diagnostic purposes by examining and assessing the tracheobronchial tree anatomy and by the taking of a biopsy for histology. Silicone rubber stents require general anesthesia for placement while metallic expandable stents can be placed fluoroscopically or under general anesthesia. The indications for tracheal resection are symptomatic stenosis or benign and malignant tumors. Tracheal stenosis is most often caused by trauma such as prolonged intubation of the trachea in the intensive care unit.