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Published on: December 1, 2023
Glottic widening procedures (GWPs) to avoid tracheostomy in infants' bilateral vocal cord paralysis: A systematic
Talal Al-Khatib1, Leenah Turkistani1, Shahad Hani Abdu2
1Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Objective:
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of various glottic widening procedures (GWPs) in avoiding tracheostomy in infants with bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP).
Methods:
A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to July 2023, without any timeframe limitations. Studies reporting GWPs (Endoscopic anterior-posterior cricoid split, Botox injection, suture lateralization, and other procedures including laser posterior cordotomy/arytenoidectomy) in infants with BVCP were included. Meta-analysis was performed to assess tracheostomy avoidance and secondary outcomes including voice, swallowing, and resolution of airway symptoms.
Results:
Thirteen studies with 100 patients were included. The mean age was 51.6 days. The etiology of BVCP was idiopathic (83 %), neurologic (10 %), and acquired (7 %). The GWP interventions were successful in 88 % of patients, with only 12 % requiring tracheostomy after surgery. The pooled proportion for avoiding tracheostomy was 0.88 (95 % CI 0.82-0.94) across interventions, with no significant differences between techniques. Among patients who avoided tracheostomy, 64 % had normal voice, 86 % tolerated oral feeding, 77 % had airway symptom resolution, and 70 % had recovery of vocal cord mobility.
Conclusion:
GWPs prevent a majority of infants with BVCP from undergoing tracheostomy, without permanent alterations to laryngeal function. All interventions were comparable in efficacy. Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted.
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