Analysis of the surgical treatment of complex subglottic stenosis

INTRODUCTION: The management of complex subglottic stenosis is difficult, existing different surgical techniques for its treatment, depending on type and grade of stenosis, comorbidities and the state of the patient. We studied the management of the complicated patients in our centre analyzing the applied treatment, the type and grade of stenosis, and the results in order to develop a treatment protocol of complex subglottic stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Of a total of 120 patients diagnosed of subglottic stenosis in follow-up in our centre we retrospectively reviewed 15 patients (5 boys, 10 girls; medium age 1.63 years, range 0.05 to 13 years) who had suffered mayor complications and who had required reinterventions (1 to 6). We analyzed the employed techniques in relation to the observed complications and the previous treatment, the results and the decanulation index. All diagnoses were established by fiberbronchoscopy and the initial treatment was realized following the actuation guidelines of Cotton. RESULTS: The global decanulation index in this group of patients was 80%. The patients in who initially a anterior cricoid split had been done and who developed a subglottic stenosis grade III were 8. Rescue treatment consisted in anterior laringotracheoplasty in 7 cases managing decanulation in 6 patients (75%). The medium number of reinterventions was 2.5. Patients treated initially with Laser (n=4) developed a subglottic stenosis grade III in two cases and grade IV in the rest. Subglottic stenosis grade IV were corrected by cricotracheal resection and subglottic stenosis grade IV by anterior laringotracheoplasties with a medium reoperation Lumber of 1.25. All patients achieved decanulation (100%). Failed anterior laringotracheoplasties with cartilaginous grafts (n=2) developed grade III subglottic stenosis, one was treated with a double laringotracheoplasty and the other with a cricotracheal resection reaching decanu-lation in both patients (100%). Reintervention number was one to four. Only one cricotracheal resection as initial treatment failed. This patient required 3 reinterventions not being decanulation possible (0%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with complex subglottic stenosis often require more than one reintervention until reaching decanulation. Decanulation index in these patients is satisfactory. The development of a management protocol for these cases is very difficult and treatment should be individualized.