Posterior Glottic Stenosis For Five Years
Hey everyone. I’ve had posterior glottic stenosis for about five years and it is wearing on me hard this week. On the lookout for some hope and solutions.
I’m posting here because this seems to be one of the more active airway stenosis communities, although I understand posterior glottic stenosis (PGS) is different from subglottic stenosis.
Mine was caused by intubation/ventilator trauma, and my airway is currently only around 10 degrees open. I have significant difficulty with exertion. I’m constantly wheezing, short of breath. Been a long half decade!
I visited a doctor in summer 2023 and was told my three options were to cut the vocal cords, put a string or something in there to pull the vocal cords back, or do a trach. From what I understand, a solution like balloon dilation is used for stenosis lower down and isn’t really an option for PGS. My options seemed quite awful.
I know this community is for subglottic stenosis, but if anyone here dealt with posterior glottic stenosis and found solutions…
What treatment/surgery did you have?
Did it significantly improve your breathing?
What type of specialist did you see? I’m now finally trying to book something with Mayo Clinic.
Are there any particular airway/laryngology specialists or centers you’d recommend?
I’m mostly just looking for some hope. It’s been a long stretch of time being unable to breathe and I’m a bit over it.