Laryngotracheal (luh-ring-go-TRAY-key-ul) reconstruction surgery widens your windpipe (trachea) to make breathing easier. Laryngotracheal reconstruction involves inserting a small piece of cartilage; stiff connective tissue found in many areas of your body; into the narrowed section of the windpipe.Children most commonly experience problems with a narrowed windpipe. It can occur for many reasons, including injury, infection, stomach acid reflux, a birth defect or the result of the insertion of a breathing tube. An adult's windpipe can become narrowed for the same reasons, but the cause may also be a disease that causes blood vessel or tissue inflammation, such as Wegener's granulomatosis or sarcoidosis.The goal of laryngotracheal reconstruction is to provide a safe and stable airway without the use of assistance from a breathing tube.