The incidence of postoperative aspiration among children undergoing supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia.

We conducted a retrospective study to determine the incidence of aspiration after supraglottoplasty at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. We reviewed the charts of 468 patients-281 males and 187 females, aged 2 days to 20 years-who had undergone supraglottoplasty for the treatment of laryngomalacia; most patients (69.9%) were aged 28 days to 2 years. A total of 47 patients (10.0%) experienced aspiration after supraglottoplasty; the overall association between supraglottoplasty and aspiration was not statistically significant (p = 0.25). Aspiration was positively correlated with age younger than 18 months, the performance of a revision procedure, the presence of an underlying neuromuscular disorder (n = 20), and the need for a postoperative gastrostomy tube (p < 0.001 for all). When the 20 patients with a neuromuscular disorder were excluded from our data analysis, the incidence of aspiration after supraglottoplasty fell to only 5.8% (27/468). We conclude that supraglottoplasty is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of laryngomalacia. It does not significantly increase the overall incidence of aspiration in children, and thus the risk of aspiration should not be considered a deterrent to surgery, even in children with neuromuscular problems.

The effects of prematurity on incidence of aspiration following supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if patients who were born premature have a higher incidence of aspiration following supraglottoplasty compared to patients born full term. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Two thousand three hundred sixty (2360) patient charts from Riley Hospital for Children were reviewed retrospectively. Patients had already been treated for laryngomalacia with supraglottoplasty by Dr. Bruce Matt. Estimated weeks gestational age at birth was recorded for each patient. Prematurity was stratified as mild (32-36 weeks gestational age [WGA]), very (28-31 WGA), or extremely (<28 WGA). Patients were excluded from the study if they had suspected aspiration with chronic cough, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, or documented aspiration prior to supraglottoplasty. RESULTS: As previously shown, 75 patients (3.2%) had aspiration following supraglottoplasty. Twenty of these patients were preterm infants at birth. The rate for aspiration following supraglottoplasty for former premature infants was statistically significant (5.9%, odds ratio = 2.3, P = .0032). CONCLUSIONS: Children who were born premature have a higher rate of postoperative aspiration following supraglottoplasty; however, supraglottoplasty should still be considered as treatment for laryngomalacia as the rate is still relatively low (5.9%).

Propranolol in the treatment of upper airway hemangiomas.

Airway hemangiomas (AHs), which are common in infant airways, often cause significant upper airway obstruction. The various therapies used for AH have limitations and complications. Propranolol may have a potential role in its treatment, since it leads to regression or stabilization of cutaneous infantile hemangiomas. To date, only 4 previous case reports (7 patients) in which propranolol was used for AH have been published. Based on encouraging preliminary data on propranolol use for AH treatment, our goal was to further investigate propranolol as an effective initial treatment of upper AHs that cause significant obstruction symptoms. In this retrospective case series, we reviewed the medical records of 5 consecutive pediatric patients with AH (glottic and subglottic) treated with propranolol at a tertiary care children's hospital. All 5 patients were 2 months of age at the time of hemangioma diagnosis and had stridor and physical signs of severe upper airway obstruction. Hemangioma was diagnosed by flexible laryngoscopy or flexible bronchoscopy. All patients received propranolol 2 mg/kg/day and showed significant relief of obstruction symptoms within 24 hours of treatment initiation. All patients tolerated propranolol without significant cardiovascular complications. Outcomes from this case series, in conjunction with available case reports in the literature, suggest that propranolol is a safe initial treatment for symptomatic upper AH.