April M M, Rebeiz E E, Aretz H T, Shapshay S M
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, MA 01805.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1991 Jun;100(6):503-7. doi: 10.1177/000348949110000614.
Subglottic stenosis remains a difficult clinical problem with varied management approaches. An accepted procedure has been anterior and posterior cricoid incisions through an external approach for treatment of severe stenoses without a tracheotomy. The holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, 2.1 microns wavelength with a pulsed output, is transmissible through standard fibers and ablates soft tissue and cartilage with minimal surrounding damage. This study in in vitro and in vivo animal models shows that this new laser can be used to incise the anterior and posterior cricoid and tracheal cartilages with precise control and may be suitable for endoscopic laryngotracheoplasty.
