Treatment of tracheomalacia: eight years' experience.

Between 1978 and 1985, 21 patients were treated for tracheomalacia, (group I) and 4 for tracheobronchomalacia (group II). The median age at treatment was 7 months (range 1 to 96 months). Indications for surgery in group I were, "dying spells" (n = 12), recurrent pneumonia (n = 4), intermittent respiratory obstruction (n = 3) and inability to extubate airway (n = 2). 18 had esophageal atresia repair. Treatment in group I was aortopexy (n = 19), three of whom also required an external airway splint; two had an airway splint only. Airway obstruction was relieved in all. Group II patients required surgery because they could not be extubated; none had esophageal atresia. Aortopexy in all and splinting in one failed in 3 of 4 patients. Aortopexy is the primary treatment of tracheomalacia. External airway splinting may be used where aortopexy is inadequate. A satisfactory treatment for tracheobronchomalacia has not yet been devised.