Laryngotracheal Stenosis in Early vs Late Tracheostomy: A Systematic Review

For critically ill patients undergoing long-term mechanical ventilation, to determine whether early conversion from endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy reduces the incidence of laryngotracheal stenosis.

MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature.

A systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and an assessment of bias were performed. Included studies reported outcomes of patients who were converted from endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy, compared early vs late tracheostomy, and reported the incidence of laryngotracheal stenosis and details of postoperative surveillance. Data were also collected for intensive care setting, method of tracheostomy, and timing of tracheostomy.

Seven articles met inclusion criteria: 2 randomized trials, 2 quasi-randomized trials, 1 prospective cohort, and 2 retrospective cohorts. A total of 966 patients were included in this analysis (496 in the early tracheostomy group and 470 in the late tracheostomy group). The mean incidence of laryngotracheal stenosis was 8.9% (range, 0%-20.8%), with a mean incidence of 8.1% in early tracheostomy groups and 10.9% in late tracheostomy groups. In studies with the least risk of bias, there were no differences in the incidence of laryngotracheal stenosis in patients who underwent early vs late tracheostomy.

In critically ill patients undergoing long-term mechanical ventilation, early conversion to tracheostomy within 7 days of intubation does not significantly decrease the risk of laryngotracheal stenosis compared to later conversion as defined by the included studies.