Laryngeal and tracheal stents in children.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the usage of laryngeal and tracheal stents in the treatment of benign pediatric laryngotracheal disorders, focusing primarily on their role in the management of airway stenosis.

RECENT FINDINGS: Little progress has been made in the recent past in the introduction of new laryngeal suprastomal stents in the treatment of laryngeal stenosis. The traditionally available Aboulker stent and Montgomery T-tube remain the workhorse stents used in laryngotracheal reconstructive surgery. Their use and characteristics are reviewed herein. The use of stents as a sole primary treatment of benign tracheal obstruction is limited to short-term symptom palliation, as due to the high rate of complications associated with their usage, their application should be restricted to patients in which formal surgery is contraindicated.

SUMMARY: Laryngeal and tracheal stents remain best used primarily as postoperative adjunctive devices to assist in the appropriate healing of reconstructive surgical procedures for benign laryngotracheal stenosis.