High-Flow Nasal Cannula Versus Conventional Therapy After Slide Tracheoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on the respiratory management after slide tracheoplasty. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) compared with conventional therapy in preventing reintubation after slide tracheoplasty. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at a single center, the Department of Pediatric Surgery. The medical records of 68 patients who had undergone slide tracheoplasty for congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS) before the age of 2 years from February 2012 to September 2021 were included. Patients were divided into group C (conventional therapy) or H (HFNC therapy), based on whether conventional oxygen therapy and positive pressure ventilation or HFNC was used after withdrawal from the ventilator, respectively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the postoperative reintubation rate and ventilator dependency between groups C and H. There were no HFNC complications. CONCLUSIONS: The use of postoperative HFNC is not inferior to noninvasive ventilation in terms of therapeutic efficacy. HFNC can be used without complications for a limited time after extubation.