Hyoid autograft repair of chronic subglottic stenosis

A previously unreported surgical technique has been evaluated for the correction of chronic subglottic (cricoid) stenosis. The principle of skeletal support as the primary means of repair was examined. Severe stenoses were created in sixteen adult, mongrel dogs. One to three months later a hyoid bone autograft on a sternohyoid muscle pedicle was employed for repair. The dogs were sacrificed at regular intervals from two weeks to six months. The majority of the animals maintained a widely patent lumen after repair. Vocal cord mobility remained normal in every case. The results are illustrated by photographs and histologic sections. This study convincingly demonstrates a successful surgical technique for correcting a most difficult laryngeal lesion.