Long-term functional results of prosthetic airway splinting in XXXX and @entity17593 .

@entity1 @entity17593 @entity825
The long-term functional results of splinting a collapsing major airway with a silastic Marlex mesh prosthesis were assessed. Six @entity1 in whom follow-up has been longer than 4 years (mean 5.3 years) were studied. The prosthetic semirigid splints had been implanted in five @entity1 with @entity825 and one with @entity17593 . Mean age at the time of airway splinting was 4 years (range 6 months to 8 years). At their last clinical evaluation, all six @entity1 were leading normal active lives. Three had mild respiratory symptoms not related to the splinting. The only long-term complication was a serous effusion that developed around the splint and compressed the @entity825 in one @entity1 2 years postoperatively. Tracheal fluoroscopy, barium swallow, and computed tomography scans of the @entity825 in five @entity1 demonstrated satisfactory tracheal caliber without airway collapse during expiration and coughing. Pulmonary function testing showed a mild increase in airway resistance in one @entity1 who had had a tracheostomy. These results demonstrate that the application of composite synthetic graft to a segment of a malacic airway in young @entity1 can provide long-term relief from airway collapse without compromising airway growth.
