Table 3. Complications and clinical outcomes.
| Variables | Total (n=99) | Subglottic or stoma type (n=59) | Cuff or tip type (n=40) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute complications* | ||||
| Vocal cord dysfunction | 3 (3.0) | 3 (5.1) | 0 | 0.270 |
| Respiratory distress | 3 (3.0) | 2 (3.4) | 1 (2.5) | 1.000 |
| Excessive bleeding | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.7) | 1 (2.5) | 1.000 |
| Pneumothorax | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Chronic complications* | ||||
| Granulation tissue overgrowth | 43 (43.4) | 27 (45.8) | 16 (40.0) | 0.680 |
| Mucostasis | 41 (41.4) | 28 (47.5) | 13 (32.5) | 0.152 |
| Stent migration† | 22/67 (33.3) | 13/45 (28.9) | 9/22 (40.9) | 0.409 |
| Restenosis‡ | 8/34 (23.5) | 6/25 (24.0) | 2/9 (22.2) | 1.000 |
| Duration of follow-up after first treatment (months) | 21.0 (9.0–45.0) | 23.0 (11.0–52.0) | 17.0 (4.5–42.5) | 0.142 |
| Duration of follow-up after last treatment (months) | 10.0 (1.0–24.0) | 12.0 (2.0–26.0) | 4.5 (0.3–22.3) | 0.080 |
| Clinical outcomes | ||||
| Permanent tracheostomy | 31 (31.3) | 11 (18.6) | 20 (50.0) | 0.002 |
| Surgical management | 5 (5.1) | 4 (6.8) | 1 (2.5) | 0.645 |
| Mortality | 6 (6.1) | 3 (5.1) | 3 (7.5) | 0.683 |
| Disease related | 4 (4.0) | 2 (3.4) | 2 (5.0) | 1.000 |
| Procedure related | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.7) | 1 (2.5) | 1.000 |
| Successful intervention without stenting | 10 (10.1) | 6 (10.2) | 4 (10.0) | 1.000 |
| Duration of follow-up after intervention | 23.5 (10.0–55.8) | 15.0 (8.3–37.0) | 58.5 (17.8–85.0) | 0.233 |
| Stent insertion | 67 (67.7) | 45 (76.3) | 22 (55.0) | 0.031 |
| Successful stent removal | 22/67 (32.8) | 16/45 (35.6) | 6/22 (27.3) | 0.586 |
| Duration of follow-up after stent removal | 9.5 (1.0–22.8) | 9.5 (1.3–19.0) | 6.5 (0–40.8) | 0.601 |
| Persistent stent placement | 28/67 (41.8) | 20/45 (44.4) | 8/22 (36.4) | 0.604 |
| Duration of stent placement | 28.5 (10.5–60.8) | 33.0 (12.3–77.3) | 22.0 (3.3–33.5) | 0.153 |
| Successful removal of tracheostomy tube§ | 60 (60.6) | 42 (71.2) | 18 (45.0) | 0.012 |
| Successful removal of airway prosthesis¶ | 32 (32.3) | 22 (37.3) | 10 (25.0) | 0.274 |
Data are presented as n (%) or median (IQR). *, patients could have more than one complication; †, patients who had a stent inserted were used as the denominator; ‡, patients who have ever been removed stent were denominator; ß, patients who survived and maintained airway patency without a tracheostomy tube or surgical management; ∂, patients who survived and maintained airway patency without a tracheostomy tube, silicone stent, or surgical management. NA, not applicable; IQR, interquartile range.