Airway Reconstruction Procedures
The Airway Center team uses many procedures to examine and repair the airway. Some are performed in the office and others are performed in an operating room.
Procedures done in the office
The following procedures are performed in the office (as needed) during an Airway Center visit:
Flexible tracheoscopy
Examining the trachea through a tracheotomy tube with a flexible scope.
Stroboscopy
Conducting a detailed examination of the vocal cords using a pulsating light to examine vocal cord abnormalities.
Endoscopic evaluation of swallowing
Examining the swallowing process as it occurs by passing a thin, flexible fiberoptic scope through the nose to a position above the voice box and watching the passage of liquids or foods when the patient swallows.
Flexible laryngoscopy
Examining the inside of the larynx (voice box) and vocal cords with a flexible scope.
Procedures done in the operating room
In the operating room, we perform the following procedures:
Microlaryngoscopy
Examining the vocal cords and larynx using magnification.
Bronchoscopy
Examining the inside of the trachea (wind pipe) and lung passages using a rigid and flexible scope.
Surgeries
The following procedures are surgeries and are performed in the operating room:
Tracheotomy
Placing a tube in the airway to bypass an obstruction.
Supraglottoplasty
Using a laser or surgical instruments to remove tissue blocking the larynx (voice box) with the condition of laryngomalacia (partial collapse of the larynx).
Laryngotracheoplasty
Reconstructing the airway (larynx and trachea) using a portion of cartilage from the rib, ear or larynx.
Laryngotracheal Reconstruction -- Single-Staged Repair
Opening a narrowed airway by removing scarred areas and using grafts to widen the diameter of the airway.
Laryngotracheal Reconstruction -- Double-Staged Repair
Opening a narrowed airway by removing scarred areas and using grafts to widen the diameter of the airway. In the double-staged procedure, the breathing tube is left in place and weaning occurs after the surgery.
Partial Cricotracheal Resection
Removing the scarred portion of the airway and reconnecting the normal ends.
Many procedures may need to be done with the tracheotomy tube left in place during the surgery (staged method), while other procedures may be done in a single staged manner (immediate removal of the tracheotomy tube). Your surgeon will decide upon the safest and most optimal approach for your child.
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