Pediatric Airway Surgery: Management of Laryngotracheal Stenosis in Infants and Children

Review by K Blackmore
Newcastle, UK

This is an excellent book. When I saw the editor and the title I knew it was going to be a good read, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Don’t be put off by ‘Management of laryngotracheal stenosis…’ in the title. While this book does focus heavily on laryngotracheal stenosis, it also covers a multitude of other paediatric airway pathologies, in just 371 pages. Split into five sections (‘Evaluation of the compromised paediatric airway’, ‘Congenital abnormalities of the larynx and trachea’, ‘Acquired laryngeal and tracheal stenoses’, ‘Surgery for laryngotracheal stenosis’ and ‘Tracheal surgery and revision surgery’) and 23 chapters, the book gives an overview of paediatric airway disease and its management, in short, readable chapters. Each starts with a summary of the core messages, detailing the important points. The endoscopic photographs are of superb quality, as are the multiple computer-generated diagrams of the relevant anatomy and surgical techniques. There are helpful tables consolidating issues, from age-appropriate bronchoscope and endotracheal tube sizes, to indications for paediatric tracheostomy. Each chapter is well referenced, giving the reader the opportunity to look up some of the landmark papers for each topic.

I’ve read this book from cover to cover, and imagine it will become one of the more ‘well thumbed’ books on my shelf over the next few years. It is an excellent reference for paediatric ENT surgeons and for trainees with an interest in paediatrics.

Amazon Link: Pediatric Airway Surgery: Management of Laryngotracheal Stenosis in Infants and Children
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