If your child has a tracheotomy tube (trach), it will remain in place after the surgery, unlike in single stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (SSLTR), where the trach is removed during surgery.
There will be an incision in the neck where the surgery was done. A small drain will be in the neck to allow fluid and air to drain after the surgery.
If rib cartilage is used, there will be a small incision on the chest and a drain will be in place there after the surgery. The ENT doctor will decide how long the drains will remain in place.
A stent is a cylindrical tube placed and secured in the airway during surgery above the trach. The stent holds the graft in place while it heals so it does not shrink back down. The ENT doctor will decide how long the stent needs to stay in place.
The ENT doctor may decide to use a T-tube instead of using a trach and stent. A T-tube is similar to a trach and stent, but it is all in one. It looks like a T lying on its side, and has an upper and lower limb, and a limb comes out of the neck. The T-tube holds the airway and graft in place while it heals. You will be educated by the nurses on how to take care of the T-tube. The ENT doctor will decide how long the T-tube needs to stay in place.
“Double stage” refers to the number of steps in the reconstruction.