Who is a candidate?

How one acquires an airway obstruction varies. Sometimes, there could be a pre-existing minor birth defect in the larynx or trachea requiring a child to be intubated by passing a tube into the airway. This could then worsen the pre existing condition – e.g congenital subglottic stenosis. Children may have a history of prolonged intubation for premature birth and associated comorbidities of the heart, lungs and gastrointestinal or neurological causes.

Adults may have a history of intubation in an intensive care setting, which may cause tracheal stenosis. Trauma to the neck and larynx are also possible examples of acquired defects leading to airway obstruction. Tracheostomy tubes themselves can also cause stenosis and will require laryngotracheal evaluation and possible reconstruction.

The following is a list of candidates who may present with respiratory difficulty and require an airway evaluation and reconstruction:

• Preterm babies requiring prolonged neonatal intensive care unit stays.
• Children and adults in intensive care units with a history of prolonged intubation.
• Children born with laryngeal and tracheal birth anomalies (vocal cord webs, subglottic stenosis, laryngeal cleft, tracheal stenosis).
• Children with a tracheotomy (tube in the neck) done for breathing difficulties.
• Patients with airway stenosis following a trauma, caustic ingestion, infection or autoimmune disease suc as Wegener’s granulomatosis.

Conditions we treat