28-day-old infant saved from tracheostomy by balloon procedure

Doctors at KIMS Cuddles, Kondapur, treated a 28-day-old infant with severe airway narrowing caused by Grade 2 subglottic stenosis using an endoscopic balloon dilatation procedure, avoiding the need for a tracheostomy. The infant was brought to the hospital in severe respiratory distress, with chest retractions and noisy breathing, and had required ventilator support for seven days after birth.

During evaluation, doctors found narrowing of the airway just below the vocal cords. A specialised 6-mm balloon was used to dilate the stenotic segment three times using a controlled technique, following which the airway opened adequately and air could pass freely, said Dr Priyanka Valluri, ENT Surgeon. The procedure enabled the baby to breathe normally without a tracheostomy.