Background: The frequency of respiratory events in the perioperative period, and optimal duration of intubation during early mandibular distraction osteogenesis activation, are poorly understood. This study assesses potential risk factors associated with perioperative respiratory events, particularly the need for reintubation, following mandibular distraction osteogenesis surgery.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for infants (younger than 1 year) undergoing mandibular distraction osteogenesis for tongue-based airway obstruction between November of 2010 and December of 2017. Univariate and multivariate analyses of sentinel events and outcomes were performed.
Results: Ninety infants (median age, 35 days) were included (50 percent were syndromic). Twenty-seven subjects (30 percent) experienced a respiratory event requiring intervention before discharge, including 14 subjects who failed initial extubation. Subjects extubated earlier than postoperative day 5 failed extubation more frequently (33%) compared to those extubated later (9%; p = 0.005). Respiratory events occurred more frequently when extubation was attempted at distraction lengths of 5 mm or less (42 percent) compared to greater than 5 mm (21 percent; p = 0.032). Logistic regression modeling showed that syndromic status (OR, 14.8) and secondary airway anomaly (OR, 6.1) were significant predictors for respiratory events, whereas greater length of distraction at the time of extubation was protective (OR, 0.8; p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Postoperative intubation of at least 5 days with associated mean distraction of 5 mm appears to be associated with successful extubation trial following mandibular distraction osteogenesis surgery. Patients with congenital syndromes and secondary airway anomalies are more likely to experience perioperative respiratory events.
Clinical question/level of evidence: Risk, III.