Clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of type III laryngotracheoesophageal clefts

Abstract Objective To describe the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent transcervical repair with a posterior cartilage graft for type III laryngotracheoesophageal cleft (LTEC). Methods A chart view was performed on patients with type III LTEC between May 2017 and May 2022. Demographic features and surgical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results Five patients were finally included, and all patients survived and thrived postoperatively. Three patients were able to successfully extubate with acceptable voice, and two patients were tracheostomized. Four patients were deemed safe for all consistencies and one was safe for thickened. Conclusions An anterior laryngofissure approach to the cleft repair with a posterior cartilage graft is an effective and safe treatment for type III LTEC, whichenables closure of LTEC and reconstruction of cricoid plate in order to avoid tracheoesophageal fistula formation or subglottic stenosis postoperatively. Severe tracheomalacia and GERD are two main causes for surgical failure.