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    The content on this page is not current guidance and is only for the purposes of the consultation process.

    Endoscopic balloon dilation for subglottic or tracheal stenosis

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    1 Introduction – procedure description

    Narrowing of the airway between the throat and the lungs (a subglottic stenosis or a tracheal stenosis) can cause difficulty breathing. It can happen after you have had a tube in your airway to help you breathe, after surgery to the airway or you can be born with it. Under a general anaesthetic, a tube with a camera on the end (endoscope) is inserted down the throat and used to guide a deflated balloon into the narrowed part of the airway. The balloon is inflated for a short time, then deflated and removed. The aim is to widen (dilate) the airway and improve symptoms.

    NICE is looking at endoscopic balloon dilation for subglottic or tracheal stenosis. This is a review of NICE's interventional procedures guidance on endoscopic balloon dilatation for subglottic or tracheal stenosis.

    NICE's interventional procedures advisory committee met to consider the evidence and the opinions of professional experts, who are consultants with knowledge of the procedure.

    This document contains the draft guidance for consultation. Your views are welcome, particularly:

    • comments on the draft recommendations

    • information about factual inaccuracies

    • additional relevant evidence, with references if possible.

    NICE is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others.

    This is not NICE's final guidance on this procedure. The draft guidance may change after this consultation.

    After consultation ends, the committee will:

    • meet again to consider the consultation comments, review the evidence and make appropriate changes to the draft guidance

    • prepare a second draft, which will go through a resolution process before the final guidance is agreed.

    Please note that we reserve the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultation or not to publish them at all if, in the reasonable opinion of NICE, there are a lot of comments or if publishing the comments would be unlawful or otherwise inappropriate.

    Closing date for comments: 18 November 2021

    Target date for publication of guidance: February 2022