About this Research Topic
Pediatric airway anomalies encompass a large spectrum of congenital and acquired conditions; for the most severe cases, surgical treatment is required. Airway surgery in children is a challenging field, in which many specialists are involved and that requires high competency and organization. An increasing number of pediatric airway teams are leading this kind of surgery in the world, making great effort to improve their results and reduce the invasiveness of the procedures. To improve the results, a multidisciplinary and cooperative team of specialists, including ENT physicians, pediatricians, cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, dedicated nurses and other care-givers would have to work together, in a model of organization that is distinctive to modern medicine.
In this Research Topic, we would like to cover the aspects of working as a multidisciplinary team, to then present the advances and state of the art treatments of different kinds of airway anomalies. That includes the most frequent anomalies (post-intubation laryngotracheal stenosis, vocal cord palsy, papillomatosis, tracheomalacia, tracheo-esophageal fistula) as well as uncommon conditions (cleft, congenital tracheal stenosis, webs), with the focus on surgical treatment. The collection will examine endoscopic pre-operative assessment and classification that is the basis of decision-making and treatment, as well as ongoing stenosis, to discuss all the conservative measures that can help and avoid progression of the disease in order to prevent the need for tracheotomy or subsequent surgery. We will focus on endoscopic procedures, discussing the possibility for some conditions to avoid an invasive open approach (tracheo-esophageal fistula, clefts, webs, laryngotracheal stenosis and vocal cord palsy) within contributions on operative endoscopy and stenting. The Topic will also cover the most frequent open procedures (laryngotracheal reconstruction and partial cricotracheal resection). Congenital tracheal stenosis will be presented in all their aspects, including the new possibilities of tracheal replacement for complicated cases. Other emerging themes of the field will be presented, such as percutaneous tracheostomy in children, the tracheopexy for tracheomalacia, and the new medical treatment of papillomatosis. All the papers should avoid unnecessary general introductions to the topic and focus on the practical aspects, describing the procedures step by step, providing enlightening figures or graphs, and including tips derived from the experience of the contributors. The latest innovations in the field as well as pitfalls and complications should be included.
The reader will find a complete collection that represents the most updated research and state of the art knowledge about all aspects of airway anomalies' management and treatment in pediatrics. The Research Topic will not only be of interest to surgeons, but to all professionals daily involved in this particularly challenging field.
In this Research Topic, we would like to cover the aspects of working as a multidisciplinary team, to then present the advances and state of the art treatments of different kinds of airway anomalies. That includes the most frequent anomalies (post-intubation laryngotracheal stenosis, vocal cord palsy, papillomatosis, tracheomalacia, tracheo-esophageal fistula) as well as uncommon conditions (cleft, congenital tracheal stenosis, webs), with the focus on surgical treatment. The collection will examine endoscopic pre-operative assessment and classification that is the basis of decision-making and treatment, as well as ongoing stenosis, to discuss all the conservative measures that can help and avoid progression of the disease in order to prevent the need for tracheotomy or subsequent surgery. We will focus on endoscopic procedures, discussing the possibility for some conditions to avoid an invasive open approach (tracheo-esophageal fistula, clefts, webs, laryngotracheal stenosis and vocal cord palsy) within contributions on operative endoscopy and stenting. The Topic will also cover the most frequent open procedures (laryngotracheal reconstruction and partial cricotracheal resection). Congenital tracheal stenosis will be presented in all their aspects, including the new possibilities of tracheal replacement for complicated cases. Other emerging themes of the field will be presented, such as percutaneous tracheostomy in children, the tracheopexy for tracheomalacia, and the new medical treatment of papillomatosis. All the papers should avoid unnecessary general introductions to the topic and focus on the practical aspects, describing the procedures step by step, providing enlightening figures or graphs, and including tips derived from the experience of the contributors. The latest innovations in the field as well as pitfalls and complications should be included.
The reader will find a complete collection that represents the most updated research and state of the art knowledge about all aspects of airway anomalies' management and treatment in pediatrics. The Research Topic will not only be of interest to surgeons, but to all professionals daily involved in this particularly challenging field.
Keywords: Airway stenosis, laryngotracheal stenosis, airway team, airway surgery, trachea
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