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Balloon Laryngoplasty for Pediatric Subglottic Stenosis: A 5-year Experience
Serap Önder Şahin1, Aslı Şahin Yılmaz1, Özgül Gergin2
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Health Sciences, Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Endoscopic balloon laryngoplasty (BL) shows high success for thin subglottic stenosis (SGS) in children. However, outcomes are less favorable for chronic thick SGS, indicating a need for tailored treatment approaches.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Minimally Invasive Airway Surgery
Background:
- Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is a common airway complication in children.
- Endoscopic balloon laryngoplasty (BL) offers a less invasive treatment option for pediatric SGS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of BL for acquired SGS in pediatric patients.
- To assess the effectiveness of BL based on SGS characteristics (acute/chronic, thin/thick).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 41 pediatric patients with acquired SGS treated with BL.
- Analysis of patient demographics, SGS features, surgical details, and outcomes.
- Categorization of SGS as acute/chronic and thin/thick membranous stenosis.
Main Results:
- BL demonstrated a 100% success rate for both acute and chronic thin membranous SGS.
- Effectiveness of BL was significantly higher for acute thick stenosis compared to chronic thick stenosis (p=0.016).
- The study included 41 children (mean age 26 months) with acquired SGS.
Conclusions:
- BL is a promising treatment for thin membranous SGS in children, irrespective of chronicity.
- Outcomes for chronic thick SGS treated with BL are less favorable.
- BL can be considered a primary treatment for specific types of pediatric subglottic stenosis.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to present our experience and evaluate our results of endoscopic balloon laryngoplasty (BL) in children with subglottic stenosis (SGS) at a pediatric tertiary center over a 5-year period.
Methods:
This study reviewed 41 pediatric patients diagnosed with acquired SGS who had undergone BL as the primary course of treatment. Cases were analyzed for details including patient demographics, SGS grade and length, timing and the type of surgery, presence of tracheostomy, comorbidities, postoperative management, complications and outcomes of balloon dilatation.
Results:
Forty-one children (22 girls and 19 boys) who had undergone BL at a mean age of 26 months (range, 1 month to 14 years) were included in the study. Nineteen (46.3%) were diagnosed with acute SGS (12 thin stenosis, 7 thick stenosis) and 22 (53.7%) with chronic SGS (9 thin stenosis, 13 thick stenosis). The success rate of BL was 100% in patients with acute and chronic thin membranous stenosis. The effectiveness of BL was significantly higher in patients with acute thick stenosis than in patients with chronic thick stenosis (p=0.016).
Conclusion:
This study confirms that BL in patients presenting with acquired SGS with thin membranous stenosis, regardless of whether acute or chronic, can have a good prognosis. However, the results are less promising in cases of chronic thick stenosis.
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