Laser supraglottoplasty for severe laryngomalacia

Abstract

Introduction: Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in infants, ac- counting for 60%-70% of laryngeal congenital defects. Between 10% to 20% of these patients may require surgical treatment. Aim: To review the clinical manifestations and outcomes of supraglottoplasties in severe laryngomalacia at our hospital during 2015. Material and method: Retrospective medical record review of children that underwent CO2 laser supraglottoplasty at Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente in Concepcion during 2015. Results: Eleven patients were included in this study, the average age at the time of surgery was 7.3 months. All the patients had stridor associated with feeding difficulty and 45% of them also had cyanosis with feeding and crying, desaturations and respiratory pauses. Four cases had associated congenital anomalies and 73% of the patients had airway comorbidity, mostly subglottic stenosis (64%). All of our patients had types I and II laryngomalacia with 27% and 73%, respectively. The success rate of surgery was 91%, no patients required a revision supraglottoplasty and there were no complications related to the procedure. Conclusions: CO₂ laser supraglottoplasty proved to be a safe and effective treatment for severe laryngomalacia. Patients with severe laryngomalacia should undergo a full airway revision under general anesthesia to assess airway comorbidity.