Long-Term Results of the Sternohyoid Myocutaneous Rotary Door Flap for Laryngotracheal Reconstruction

In the past 8 years, 45 patients with laryngotracheal stenosis have undergone reconstruction with the sternohyoid myocutaneous rotary door flap (RDF) technique at Tang Du Teaching Hospital in Xi'an, China. All patients were tracheostomy-dependent before reconstruction. Thirty-six patients had previously undergone 2 to 7 surgical procedures. Forty-one of the 45 patients (91%) were successfully decannulated. Decannulation failed in the other 4 because of RDF prolapse into the tracheal lumen or because of hypertrophic scar in the operative region. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 8 years. Forty of the 41 patients had a stable airway and effective voice, and 1 patient had restenosis 3 years after decannulation. The results demonstrate that the RDF technique is a relatively simple and effective way to treat patients with laryngotracheal stenosis.