Miller Laryngoscope Blade: An Aid to Pediatric Laryngeal Surgery.

Abstract

Pediatric upper airway disorders are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. They can be congenital or acquired and provide diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the paediatrician and otolaryngologists. Though fibreoptic laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy is the initial mode of assessing the pathology, detailed assessment and therapeutic intervention can only be done combining both direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy. Any kind of intervention routinely requires rigid direct laryngoscope with suspension. Identifying the potential use of Miller laryngoscope blade for pediatric airway surgeryis the aim of the study. We have included pediatric patients from new born to 12years of age in our clinical study. We have been using Miller laryngoscope blade for approaching till the level of subglottis for diagnostic laryngoscopy along with Hopkins 0 degree endoscope and performing surgical procedures like supraglottoplasty, vallecular cysts, subglottic stenosis etc. Miller laryngoscope blade can be used as an aid to upper airway surgery for the otolaryngologists with minimal operating time and effort.