Extended laryngofissure in the management of subglottic stenosis in the young child: a preliminary report.

The child with subglottic stenosis and a tracheotomy is a management problem. To date, a consistent method for successful and expeditious correction of the primary lesion to permit decannulation has eluded clinicians. The child is tracheotomized and thus frequently hospitalized for a lengthy period. Personal development and family relationships are adversely affected and the mortality rate during this period of cannulation is significant. During the past eighteen months in an attempt to achieve earlier decannulation, three children with subglottic stenosis have undergone a surgical procedure in which division of the anterior and posterior aspects of the cricoid ring are the key surgical maneuvers.