Endoscopic treatment of choanal atresia

Choanal atresia (CA) is an infrequent congenital obliteration of the airway at the level of the posterior nasal aperture resulting in the absence of connection between the nasal cavity and the aerodigestive tract. We present our experience with an endoscopic technique for congenital CA without the use of intranasal stents.

We analysed a series of 10 patients with CA treated in our department from 2006 to 2012 through endoscopic surgery. We present a description of the sample and the surgical technique used.

The sample consisted of 5 men and 5 women. Mean patient age was 8 years (range: 5 days-32 years). Fifty percent of patients were cases with re-stenosis requiring revision surgery. Bilateral presentation was 7 and unilateral was 3. All CA were mixed (bony-membranous). Fifty per cent of patients had an associated malformation. All patients underwent nasal endoscopic surgery without stenting. After a mean follow up of 27 months (range: 11-78 months), the success rate was 100%. No complications were observed.

Transnasal endoscopic repair for both unilateral and bilateral CA without intranasal stenting was found to be a safe, expedient procedure that afforded minimal complications with a high success rate. Endoscopic endonasal surgery may be considered as the mainstay of treatment.