Tracheal tests, treatments and services

To treat the full range of pediatric tracheal disorders from simple to complex, Children’s offers the following comprehensive tests, treatments and services:

Diagnostic tests

When children are referred to the Tracheal Disorders Program at Children's, they have often been diagnosed with a congenital (present at birth) condition. In other situations, parents or caregivers notice some symptoms of a tracheal problem when the child is at home, such as shortness of breath or wheezing.

In order to fully understand your child’s condition, the tracheal disorders team uses an array of powerful diagnostic tools. These tools aid clinical observation and are specific to tracheal disorders:

• Bronchoscopy
• Computerized CT imaging
• Bronchogram

Further airway tests may need to be performed, and these will be done in conjunction with the Aerodigestive Center at Children's.

Tracheal surgery

In rare instances, complex tracheal surgery may be required to alleviate symptoms associated with your child’s tracheal disorder. The Tracheal Disorders Program at Children’s houses one of only five pediatric tracheal surgery programs in the nation.

The tracheal surgeons within the Tracheal Disorders Program are innovators in the field and have developed many of the surgical techniques that are used across the country. Some of the more common surgeries our team performs include:

• Tracheal resection
• Airway reconstruction
• Tracheopexy
• Slide tracheoplasty

Learn more about the innovative tracheal surgery procedures performed at Children's

Ongoing care

Treatment, including surgery, is only the first step to wellness. The team at Children's understands that close follow-up care is necessary in all cases of tracheal disorders. The team will follow the progress of your child after treatment using the following tools:

• Bronchoscopy
• Computerized CT imaging
• Bronchogram
• Exercise testing
• Neurodevelopmental checks within our Developmental Follow-Up Program
• Quality of life studies

Patients with congenital heart defects

Forty percent of all patients with a tracheal disorder will also have some type of congenital heart defect. Because of this, a tracheal team needs to work closely with cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. At Children's, the Tracheal Disorders Program has the support of the nationally respected Herma Heart Institute. The combined expertise of the Institute and the Tracheal Disorders team means the best possible care and outcomes for your child.