(024) Airway Stenosis: A Retrospective Review Pre- and post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Airway stenosis has many etiologies, including trauma, surgery (e.g. tracheostomy), autoimmune disease, or idiopathic. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rates of airway stenosis and the treatment modalities used.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with airway stenosis who underwent surgery between 2017 and 2022 was conducted. Patient demographics were collected, along with details on the level of airway stenosis, etiology, treatment, and date of treatment. Fisher’s Exact Tests were used to compare groups. Logistic regression (LR) models were developed for analysis.

Results: A total of 100 patients were included. Average age was 56 (95% CI 53-59), 78% were Caucasian, 60% were female, and average BMI was 31. Zero patients had supraglottic stenosis, 5 had glottic, and 96 had subglottic stenosis. 43 were idiopathic in etiology. 51% were treated after the start of the pandemic. There were no significant differences detected between pre- and post-pandemic patients for open vs. endoscopic surgery (p = 0.80), tracheostomy (p = 0.53), or persistent airway related symptoms post-operatively (p = 0.24). LR models found the most significant predictors of open vs. endoscopic surgery included presence of other co-morbidities (COPD, cancer or OSA). The most significant predictors of trach included race, female gender, and glottic stenosis. The most significant predictors of airway symptoms included glottic stenosis and other co-morbidities (COPD, heart disease, obesity).

Conclusions: Airway stenosis can be complex and difficult to treat. We found no significant difference in the treatment types or outcomes relative to the COVID-19 pandemic.