Open Excision of Subglottic Hemangioma

Treatment of subglottic hemangiomas lacks a standard treatment algorithm defining the role and proper place for the multiple medical and surgical therapeutic alternatives. Open excision of subglottic hemangiomas represents an emerging operative technique with the advantage of being a single-stage procedure with limited morbidity that, at the same time, avoids the potential complications of long-term medications, such as corticosteroids, as well as avoids subglottic stenosis caused by repeated endoscopic laser procedures. This procedure is evolving as the firstline surgical option for symptomatic subglottic hemangioma requiring therapy at our institution. A discussion of the preoperative work-up, the operative technique, and our results is presented.