Introduction
Patients with Pierre-Robin Sequence (PRS) suffer from micrognathia, glossoptosis, and upper airway obstruction, which is sometimes associated with cleft palate and feeding issues. To overcome these symptoms in our full-term male neonate patient with PRS, mandibular distraction osteogenesis was performed.
Methods
The patient was intubated after airway endoscopy. A submandibular incision was carried down to the mandible. A distractor was modified to fit the osteotomy site that we marked, and its pin was pulled through an infrauricular incision. Screws secured the plates and the osteotomy was performed. The mandible was distracted 1.8 mm daily for twelve days.
Results
During distraction, the patient worked with speech therapy. Eventually, he adequately fed orally. He showed no further glossoptosis or obstruction after distraction was completed.
Conclusion
In our experience, mandibular distraction is a successful way to avoid a surgical airway and promote oral feeding in children with PRS and obstructive symptoms.
By: Ravi W Sun, BE
Surgeons:
Megan M Gaffey, MD
Adam B Johnson, MD, PhD
Larry D Hartzell, MD
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA
Recruited by: Gresham T Richter, MD