Abstract
We have treated numerous infants for associated dysphagia. We perform do laryngotracheal separation as a way of decreasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Laryngotracheal separation was performed in 94 patients during a 28-year period(1982-2010)at our institute. The patients consisted of 51 males and 43 females with a median age of 56 months(3-155). The 16 infant cases consisted of 1 aged 3 months, 2 aged 4 months, 3 aged 6 months, 1 aged 7 months, 2 aged 9 months, 4 aged 11 months, and 3 aged 12 months. Neuromuscular disease was the most common causative disease, present in a total of 79 cases. The overall results showed that 3 patients remained in hospital, 9 patients died in hospital, and 82 patients had been discharged from the hospital. Of the 9 patients who died 8 expired from deterioration of the underlying disease and 1 patient who died from tracheal bleeding. Of the 82 patients who left the hospital, 35 transferred to another hospital and 47 patients received home care services. In no cases were we able to reconstruct the larynx and close the tracheal stoma. Complications after laryngotracheal separation occurred in 6 cases involving tracheal granulation, 1 involving tracheal bleeding, 1 involving tracheostenosis, and 1 involving a fistula.
