Services & Specialties
Airway Reconstruction

Get expert surgical care for complex airway conditions from one of the world’s most experienced pediatric airway teams.

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Complex Pediatric Airway Conditions Treated with Experience and Precision

When your child has trouble breathing, feeding or speaking because of an airway problem, it can feel overwhelming. You may have been told surgery is needed, or you may be searching for answers after other treatments have not worked.

The Airway Reconstruction team at Cincinnati Children’s has cared for children with complex airway conditions for more than 20 years. We treat subglottic stenosis—caring for more children with this condition than any other hospital in the world—along with tracheal stenosis, laryngeal clefts, tracheomalacia and other rare airway disorders. Our aerodigestive and esophageal team was the first of its kind and remains the largest in the world, bringing together experts to care for even the most complex cases. Each year, we perform 120 to 140 open airway reconstructions and about 3,000 bronchoscopies. Families come to us from across the country and around the world for care they cannot find elsewhere.

Why Choose Airway Reconstruction at Cincinnati Children's?

World-leading experience caring for children with rare and complex airway conditions for more than two decades.
Team-based care with specialists from pulmonary medicine, gastroenterology, pediatric surgery and our Aerodigestive and Esophageal Center working together.
Dedicated nurse coordinators who help schedule visits, answer questions and guide your family through each step.
Advanced surgical techniques including complex slide tracheoplasty, laryngotracheal reconstruction and specialized laryngeal cleft repair.

Airway Reconstruction Expertise and Outcomes

Nationally Recognized Expertise

Cincinnati Children’s is ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for more than 15 years. Our airway reconstruction program is one of the longest-standing and busiest in the world. We perform significantly more open airway reconstructions each year than many peer hospitals.

Advanced Surgical Techniques

We offer highly specialized procedures that are not widely available. These include complex slide tracheoplasty, complex laryngotracheal reconstruction, Type IV laryngeal cleft repair and endoscopic Type III laryngeal cleft repair.

Our team also performs cricotracheal resection, balloon dilation and cervical innominate artery pexy when vascular compression affects the airway. Because of our experience, we are able to treat children with the most severe airway narrowing and structural differences.

Coordinated, Whole-Child Care

Airway problems often affect breathing, feeding and growth. That is why we use a team-based care model. Your child may see experts in pulmonology, gastroenterology, pediatric surgery and other specialties during the same visit.

We develop one clear, personalized care plan. Our intake coordinators and nurse practitioners work closely with your family to coordinate appointments and testing. This approach reduces repeat visits and helps your child receive consistent, unified guidance.

Serving Families Nationwide

Seventy-five percent of our patients travel to us from outside the region. We partner closely with referring physicians, including ear, nose and throat specialists, pulmonologists and intensive care doctors across the U.S.

We also help coordinate care with your child’s doctors back home. Our goal is to provide advanced treatment here and support a smooth transition back to your local team whenever possible.

Dedicated Support Throughout Care

Every family is supported by a dedicated nurse coordinator and intake team. They begin working with you when you first contact us and continue through surgery, recovery and follow-up.

They help with scheduling, answer questions and provide education about your child’s condition and treatment. No concern is too small.

From your first call to long-term follow-up, our team is here to guide you. We combine deep surgical experience with coordinated, whole-child support so your family always knows the next step.

Trusted Second Opinions

About 40% of our new patients come to us for a second opinion. Families often reach out after other treatments have not worked or when they are told their child’s condition is too complex. Our specialists carefully review prior records, imaging and procedures. We explain all available options in clear language so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

Developing relationships with my patients and their families allows me to understand their needs and concerns. These connections, and being able to help children, are the things that drive me.

Catherine Hart, MD

Director, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Conditions We Treat

Services & SpecialtiesAirway Reconstruction