The use of a laryngotracheal separation procedure in pediatric patients.

The objective of this study was to review experience, outcome, and satisfaction after a laryngotracheal separation (LTS) procedure in pediatric patients. Chart reviews and phone questionnaires were used. Factors reviewed included hospitalizations and infections prior to and after LTS, morbidity, and impact on quality of life. Twenty-one pediatric patients ranging in age from 8 to 172 months underwent LTS. Follow-up time ranged from 1 to 49 months. Complications were minor. Eighty-eight percent of patients had fewer hospitalizations or were discharged for the first time after LTS. Number of pneumonias and suctioning frequency decreased, mobility increased in patients with prior tracheostomies, and care requirements decreased in 95% of patients. Parents reported satisfaction and improved quality of life. LTS is a low-risk, successful procedure which increases quality of life and decreases morbidity in pediatric patients with irreversible upper airway dysfunction.