Spontaneous respiration anesthesia for respiratory papillomatosis

Several anesthetic techniques for microlaryngeal laser surgery in children have been advocated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the operative conditions and safety of the spontaneous respiration anesthesia technique for carbon dioxide laser surgery in children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). The anesthetic and operative records of 60 pediatric patients with RRP who underwent microlaryngeal laser surgeries between 1991 and 1997 were reviewed. Papilloma location, severity of involvement, oxygen saturation, airway stability, need for intubation, duration of procedure, and complications were recorded. The patients underwent 744 surgical procedures. Two hundred two procedures were randomly studied (statistical power > or = 80%). The supraglottis and glottis were most commonly involved. Most of the papillomas were graded as moderate or severe disease. Complications occurred in 11 procedures. The surgical procedure was completed in all cases. No variable had predictive value regarding the outcome. Spontaneous respiration anesthesia is an efficient and relatively safe technique for microlaryngeal laser surgery in children with RRP.