Airway Reconstruction Surgery

The surgeons in the Pediatric Division of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery are experts in caring for children with complex congenital or acquired airway disorders. Infants who require breathing tube placement at birth may have airway sequelae that prevent them from having an adequate or safe airway. Our physicians are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders.

Many children will benefit from laser or microscopic procedures to enhance their airway. Highly specialized reconstructive techniques are performed to expand airways that have been seriously scarred or that are congenitally small. Sometimes children will require a tracheotomy (an artificial airway placed in the trachea in the neck) to assist with their breathing. Our physicians are experts in managing children with tracheotomies and, in collaboration with our Speech-Language Pathology Division, will work to facilitate normal speech and swallowing while the tracheotomy is in place. Tracheotomy removal when feasible is a constant goal for our physicians, and airway reconstructive surgery is frequently required to achieve this. Our surgeons are experts in tailoring surgical procedures to the full range of congenital or acquired problems, including stenosis of the glottis or subglottis , laryngotracheal abnormalities, tumors of the airways, and other disorders.

For information on Tracheostomy, please see http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic356.htm