Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis Used to Treat Upper Airway Obstruction

Objective: To evaluate whether mandibular distraction osteogenesis relieves tongue-based airway obstruction in patients with severe micrognathia. Design: Retrospective medical review spanning a 7-year period in a tertiary care hospital. The inclusion criterion was defined as micrognathia associated with a severe tongue-based obstruction. The patients included 11 neonates and infants (mean age, 4.3 months) and 2 pediatric patients (mean age, 5.4 years). Two patients had already received tracheotomies, 11 had not. The intervention was bilateral mandibular osteotomies with distraction osteogenesis. The outcome measures were avoidance of tracheotomy and decannulation. Results: Ten of 11 patients avoided tracheotomy. Two of 2 patients who had already undergone tracheotomies were successfully decannulated. Conclusion: Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is an acceptable treatment alternative to tracheotomy in select pediatric patients with micrognathia and severe tongue-based obstruction.