Early surgical intervention in type I laryngeal cleft

Abstract Objective Diagnosis and treatment of type 1 laryngeal clefts remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to determine if early surgical intervention in type I laryngeal clefts improves outcomes. Methods A retrospective case series was conducted at an academic tertiary care children's hospital. 18 children undergoing early (≤3 months from diagnosis) surgical intervention for type I laryngeal cleft repair between August of 2012 and December 2014. Data was compiled through a manual chart review. Results 18 children who underwent early surgical intervention for type I laryngeal cleft repair were identified for review. 14 (78%) were male and 4 (22%) were female and the average age at time of repair was 1.6 years. Most frequent presenting symptoms included dysphagia (61%) and recurrent respiratory issues (22%). Successful swallowing outcomes, defined as subjective improvement (i.e. absence of previous symptoms) per parental report in follow-up visits, +/− normal post-operative MBS (modified barium swallow) findings, was seen in 11 patients (61%). 9 patients required hospitalization for respiratory issues prior to surgical repair. Post-operatively, 4 patients still incurred an admission for respiratory reasons. Conclusions Our series shows a success rate of 61% with early surgical intervention (≤3 months from diagnosis). A decrease in post-operative hospitalizations is appreciated.