Postoperative management following supraglottoplasty for severe laryngomalacia

Abstract

To retrospectively analyze the postoperative management and care needs of patients undergoing spontaneous ventilation supraglottoplasty (SVS). Retrospective chart review. Charts of children undergoing (SVS) for severe laryngomalacia from 2007 to 2011 at a single institution were reviewed. Intraoperative and postoperative management data were collected to review the airway management, postoperative care needs, and potential complications associated with this surgery. A total of 65 patients were included in the study. Only three patients (4.5%) required more than an overnight stay in the hospital, and no patients left the operating room intubated. One patient required temporary intensive care unit observation, and the majority (78.1%) demonstrated adequate oral intake within 4 hours of surgery. Comorbidities did not portend a longer hospital stay or slower return to oral intake. SVS with cold-steel instruments is a safe and effective surgical intervention with low complication rates. This study suggests that postoperative intubation or intensive care unit monitoring may not be necessary when using these techniques.