Functional Assessment After Laryngotracheoplasty

Abstract

Laryngotracheal stenosis is a difficult problem to manage. Functional assessment is measured primarily on the ability to successfully decannulate the patient. In an effort to identify reliable, objective parameters for postoperative functional assessment, we present a retrospective study of 10 postlaryngotracheoplasty patients. All subjects underwent analysis with computerized tomography, translaryngeal manometry, acoustic reflection, flow volume loops (FVL), and voice analysis. Our results led us to conclude that accurate functional assessment is best provided by use of a combination of CT and spectral voice analysis.

Tenuous Airway in Children With Trisomy 21

“…Those patients who developed stridor were significantly younger than those in the nonstridor group. Several authors have noted that Down syndrome patients are below normal weight at the time of surgery in the majority of cases 15,18,19 . It was significant that 96% of the stridor group was at or below the fifth percentile for weight compared to only 42% of the nonstridor group.…”

“…Several trends are evident, though. Subglottic stenosis is a well established complication of endotracheal intubation 19 . In four of the five cases of subglottic stenosis, an ETT of larger diameter than predicted for age was employed.…”

Objective measurement of nasal airway dimensions using acoustic rhinometry: methodological and clinical aspects

“…Tracheal stenoses have been measured with acoustic reflections and the results were in agreement with radiographic evaluation (202). The effect of laryngotracheoplasty has also been examined (360). Different mechanical properties or bronchomotor tone of the trachea has been demonstrated by different relative hysteresis of the upper and lower part of the trachea (361).…”