The front wall of the narrowed trachea is expanded with a boat-shaped rib graft to be fit and sutured into position.
And from ribs a trachea is created
Edaline's windpipe was small to begin with but it shrank to a pinhole because she had had tubes put down it too many times, said Dr Lynne Lim, a consultant with the department of ear, nose and throat at the National University Hospital.
The baby had several life-threatening episodes when she turned blue, so a tube was snaked down her trachea to help her breathe.
This caused her to develop subglottic stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the windpipe (trachea) below the glottis (vocal cords), said Dr Lim. The treatment is a tracheotomy or a reconstructive procedure.
Born prematurely at 27 weeks, Edaline had many problems, from gastric reflux to lung infections.
She also had many specialists to treat her - a neurologist to ensure her blue bouts did not affect her brain; a gastroenterologist for her reflux and a respiratory doctor for her lung infection.
'We had to wait till she gained weight before the tracheal surgery could be carried out,' Dr Lim said.
The new trachea was constructed from cartilage taken from two of Edaline's own ribs.
Dr Lim put a stent in the airway for three weeks to make sure the reconstruction held up and the airway stayed open.
Edaline finally had her tracheotomy device taken out in July.
The toddler wasted no time in trying to speak and now breathes easy, said Dr Lim.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Costs and other numbers
Up to 4 hours Time taken for procedure
$3,000 to $3,500 Cost of surgery, including hospital stay in general ward (B2)
2 nights Length of hospital stay
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If you need or want to help
Needy patients are given assistance under the NUH Patientcare Charity Fund. Donations may be made to "NUH Patientcare Charity Fund". For inquiries or details, please e-mail Endowment Fund Office
- Ms Lim Xiaohui at Xiaohui_Lim@nuh.com.sg or telephone 6772-5945;
or Ms Emiline Oh at Emiline_LC_Oh@ttsh. com.sg or telephone 6357-2497
