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Introduction: Infants with bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) can present with stridor and respiratory distress necessitating tracheostomy. The endoscopic anterior-posterior cricoid split (APCS) with balloon dilation procedure has been described as an alternative to tracheostomy in these patients. Here, we report our institution's preliminary experience with APCS and evaluate patient factors that may predispose to the success or failure of this procedure in infants with BVFP., Methods: Electronic charts of patients who underwent APCS with balloon dilation at a single institution were reviewed for the following variables: patient demographics, comorbidities, etiology of vocal fold paralysis, symptoms at presentation, need for respiratory support, intra-operative findings, duration of intubation, perioperative medical treatments, subsequent airway management, and findings of follow-up evaluations. APCS was considered successful if the patient did not undergo tracheostomy., Results: Six patients underwent APCS with balloon dilation between August 2014 and October 2019. Four patients (66.7%) were male, and 5 of 6 (83.3%) were born full term. The etiology of vocal fold paralysis was idiopathic in four patients (66.7%) and associated with a neuromuscular disorder and hydrocephalus in the remaining two patients. Mean age at the time of the procedure was 10.3 weeks. Three infants (50%) avoided tracheostomy and had marked alleviation of airway symptoms. Three patients who required tracheostomy had more severe respiratory symptoms pre-operatively, requiring either intubation or positive pressure support. Among all patients, there were no mortalities in our series., Conclusion: APCS is safe and may be effective at the elimination of airway symptoms in select infants with BVFP, avoiding the need for tracheostomy, however more investigation is needed to establish its precise role in this patient population., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Many infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) require prolonged periods of respiratory support. Microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy (MLB) is performed to evaluate for airway pathology and facilitate decision-making regarding further airway interventions or tracheostomy. The objectives of this study are to describe the operative findings of MLB performed on infants in the NICU and determine which pre-operative characteristics or operative findings are predictive of the need for tracheostomy., Methods: The medical records of preterm inpatients in the NICU at a single tertiary care hospital who underwent MLB between January 1, 2013 and January 7, 2016 were reviewed. Baseline and demographic characteristics and intra-operative findings were compared between patients who underwent tracheostomy and those who were successfully weaned from respiratory support., Results: Seventy-three preterm patients underwent MLB for respiratory failure, of whom 41 (56.2%) underwent tracheostomy. Patients who underwent tracheostomy had lower mean gestational age (27.4 vs. 30.5 weeks), higher prevalence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (73.2% vs. 37.5%), lower mean birth weight (1.1 kg vs. 1.6 kg), and a greater number of extubation events (5.2 vs. 3.0) than those who weaned from respiratory support. Abnormal MLB findings were common in both groups, though no single MLB finding differed significantly between groups., Conclusions: Preterm infants in the NICU with gestational age ≤30 weeks, birth weight <1.5 kg, severe pulmonary disease, and who have failed more than 3 extubation attempts are more likely to require tracheostomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)