Treatment of severe bronchomalacia with expanding endobronchial stents.

Respiratory compromise from tracheobronchomalacia in children varies from mild to severe, but can result in either reflex apnea or death. Such severe cases may be unresponsive to aggressive medical management, and surgical options must be considered. Current surgical alternatives are limited and are associated with many potentially undesirable complications. Failure rates are often high. We present two infants with profound life-threatening airway malacia treated by endoscopic placement of a self-expanding endobronchial stent. A description of their anomaly, surgical management, and long-term care is included. The expandable stent may obviate the need for complex high-risk surgical procedures and prolonged ventilatory support.