25 Nov 2025 • A proactive shift to earlier bronchoscopy after pediatric tracheostomy markedly improved outcomes.

First airway evaluation occurred much sooner (2.76 vs 6.61 months; p=0.01) and was less often prompted by acute events (14.29% vs 36.36%; p=0.02). Earlier identification of airway issues led to timely intervention, most commonly granulation tissue removal, resulting in fewer respiratory-related hospitalizations in the first postoperative year (0.35 vs 1.61 per patient; p=0.002) and substantially faster decannulation (10.45 vs 46.0 months; p=0.012).

These findings support early airway surveillance as a strategy to reduce morbidity and accelerate recovery in children with tracheostomies.

Source: Science Direct | Read Full Story