Paediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction: Melbourne experience at the Royal Children's Hospital.

A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the outcome following laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) performed in 15 children for the treatment of severe laryngotracheal stenosis between 1989 and 1993. The age ranged from 18 months to 19 years with all but one patient being tracheostomy-dependent. The tracheostomy tube was successfully removed in 12 children who remain free of obstructive symptoms at follow up. One patient was successfully decannulated but required repeat tracheostomy 8 months later for intermittent severe supraglottic/pharyngeal obstruction. There were two failures, with one of these undergoing repeat LTR with successful decannulation. Surgery was complicated in one child by aspiration which improved spontaneously. These findings suggest that LTR is a safe and effective procedure for the management of severe paediatric laryngotracheal stenosis.