The first clinical deployment of a pediatric airway stent was in 1988 and was reported by Loeff and colleagues.2 Since that time, an array of airway stents have developed to treat complex airway disease in children. Pediatric-specific applications of airway stents include use after tracheal reconstruction for congenital tracheal stenosis3 and for tracheobronchomalacia4 not responsive to medical therapy. However, the ideal pediatric airway stent has yet to be developed. The ideal airway stent for pediatric patients should be easy to place, should support the airway without the development of significant complications, and should be easy to remove to allow maximal growth of the airway.
Airway anomalies are common in children with cardiac disease but with an unquantified impact on outcomes. We sought to define the association between airway anomalies and tracheal surgery with cardiac surgery outcomes using the Society of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Heart Surgery Database.
The first clinical deployment of a pediatric airway stent was in 1988 and was reported by Loeff and colleagues.2 Since that time, an array of airway stents have developed to treat complex airway disease in children. Pediatric-specific applications of airway stents include use after tracheal reconstruction for congenital tracheal stenosis3 and for tracheobronchomalacia4 not responsive to medical therapy. However, the ideal pediatric airway stent has yet to be developed. The ideal airway stent for pediatric patients should be easy to place, should support the airway without the development of significant complications, and should be easy to remove to allow maximal growth of the airway.