Outcomes of Pediatric Airway Surgeries Performed by a Single Pediatric Surgeon

Abstract

Purpose To report the clinical progress and findings seen in pediatric airway surgeries performed by a single pediatric surgeon.

Methods We retrospectively reviewed 32 pediatric patients with various airway diseases who underwent surgical correction performed by a single pediatric surgeon between January 2005 and March 2021. Surgical indications depended on the presence and severity of respiratory symptoms. Surgical results were considered good if symptoms improved and normal respiration was possible without dependence on a ventilator or tracheostomy, without postoperative complications, at the last postoperative follow-up.

Results A total of 32 patients who underwent airway surgery were diagnosed with 3 types of surgical airway diseases: tracheomalacia (n=19), subglottic stenosis (n=10), and tracheal stenosis (n=3). In the treatment for tracheomalacia, surgical efficacy was 88.2% for aortopexy and 100.0% for tracheopexy. The postoperative mortality rate of slide thyrocricotracheoplasty for subglottic stenosis and slide tracheoplasty for tracheal stenosis was 20.0%. The age at the time of all airway surgeries ranged from 1.0 to 127.6 months (median, 4.8 months). The postoperative follow-up period ranged from 1.2 months to 16.6 years (median, 4.5 years).

Conclusion Severe pediatric airway diseases with obstructive symptoms are life-threatening and require surgical treatment. Pediatric airway surgery performed in this study by a single pediatric surgeon had similar or better outcomes than in previous studies. However, more accurate diagnostic methods and improved surgical procedures for pediatric airway diseases require development.