Laryngomalacia surgery: a series from a tertiary pediatric hospital.

UNLABELLED

Laryngomalacia is the condition responsible for 75% of the cases of stridor in children aged up to 30 months, in which there is supraglottic collapse during inhalation. Inspiratory stridor is a characteristic telltale. As many as 20% of the patients are severely affected and require surgery. Supraglottoplasty is the procedure of choice and the presence of comorbidities is the most relevant prognostic factor for surgery success.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a series in a tertiary pediatric hospital, its success rates, and surgery prognostic factors.

METHOD

This retrospective cohort study enrolled 20 patients submitted to supraglottoplasty between July 2007 and May 2011.

RESULTS

Thirteen (65%) patients were males; mean age at the time of the procedure was 6.32 months. Endoscopic examination showed that 12 subjects had combined forms of laryngomalacia, 40% had associated pharyngomalacia, and three also had tracheomalacia. Thirteen subjects had isolated laryngomalacia and seven had gastroesophageal reflux disease. Fifteen (75%) patients underwent aryepiglottic fold resection. After the procedure, eleven patients were asymptomatic and two required tracheostomy. Presence of comorbidities was the strongest predictor of unfavorable postoperative outcome (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Supraglottoplasty is a safe therapeutical procedure for select patients with laryngomalacia.