EXPERIENCE WITH ANTERIOR CRICOID SPLIT FOR INFANTILE SUBGLOTTIC STENOSIS

A retrospective study of infants undergoing anterior cricoid split (AC S) from 1989 to 1993 was performed to evaluate our unit's experience w ith ACS in the management of infantile subglottic stenosis (SGS). Twel ve children were identified ranging in age from 10 to 30 weeks and wei ghing between 1200 and 6500 g. Nine were born at or less than 30 weeks ' gestation. Indications for surgery were endotracheal tube dependency , nasopharyngeal continuous positive airway pressure dependency and re current croup. All had varying degrees of SGS. Eleven of the 12 patien ts were extubated successfully following surgery. Two of these require d subsequent repeat ACS 6 and 9 months later with one patient eventual ly requiring tracheostomy. These results suggest that ACS can be safel y employed as an alternative to tracheostomy for a variety of clinical presentations of infantile SGS, with a relatively high rate of succes sful extubation.