Surgical management of laryngomalacia

Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in infants and occasionally also manifests in older patients. Although a self-limited condition a small group of patients with laryngomalacia require surgical intervention for relief of their airway obstruction. A careful preoperative evaluation is necessary to determine the type of laryngomalacia present so that the appropriate type of supraglottoplasty is performed. The overall success of supraglottoplasty is excellent and prevents the necessity of tracheotomy for patients requiring surgical intervention.