Endoscopic balloon dilatation of subglottic stenosis

Children with subglottic stenosis present a challenging problem to otolaryngologists. In many cases, a tracheostomy is necessary to safeguard the airway, but morbidity and mortality in the tracheostomized child may be significant. Therefore attempts to improve the airway by endoscopic means are often made; unfortunately, these have a variable success rate. Recent encouraging results in the use of balloon dilatation for subglottic stenosis led us to the successful use of this technique in a child whose stenosis had not responded to conventional endoscopic techniques. The reasons for the success are discussed.