Mandibular distraction for micrognathia and severe upper airway obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the use of mandibular distraction osteogenesis (DOG) can help to avoid tracheotomy or achieve decannulation in patients with mandibular hypoplasia and severe upper airway obstruction.

DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review (spanning a 27-month period).

SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital.

SUBJECTS: Group A (n=8) was composed of infants with Pierre Robin sequence and no tracheotomy (mean age, 2.5 months); group B (n=6), older nontracheotomized micrognathic children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (mean age, 69 months); and group C (n=12), tracheotomized children with complex congenital syndromes (mean age, 33 months).

INTERVENTION: Bilateral mandibular DOG with endoscopic (n=24) and/or radiographic (n=17) airway evaluation (mean follow-up, 16 months [range, 2-42 months]).

OUTCOME MEASURES: Group A, tracheotomy avoidance; group B, resolution of OSA (clinically or on polysomnography); and group C, decannulation.

RESULTS: Group A, 7 patients (88%) successfully avoided tracheotomy; group B, 5 patients (83%) had resolution of OSA; and group C, 2 patients (17%) underwent decannulation.

CONCLUSIONS: Mandibular DOG (1) allows tracheotomy avoidance in infants with isolated Pierre Robin sequence and (2) relieves OSA in older micrognathic children without tracheotomy. However, mandibular DOG does not frequently lead to decannulation in tracheotomized patients with complex congenital syndromes.