Pediatria pre prax 1/2009

Surgical treatment of laryngomalacy: how to protect newborn children and infants from tracheostomy

A laryngomalacia (congenital laryngeal stridor) is the most common cause of stridor in newborn and infants. Stridor change for the worse in the first 6 months but almost in 70 % children disappear in the age of 12 – 24 months of life. Approximately 10 % of laryngomalacia are severe and produce obstruction of airway, apnoe and failure to thrive and is necessary the surgical treatment. When the stridor is severe with symptoms of apnoe, dyspnoe and cyanosis in the past tracheotomy has been always done. In present study are described experiences with surgical method – supraglottoplasty, by this method is possible to avoid tracheotomy and long time wearing tracheostomy tube in the most of children.

Keywords: laryngomalacia, stridor, supraglottoplasty.