Floppy Airway

[Michael's mom]

Hi, Christy, sorry it took so long for me to post! Michael has a floppy airway. He has tracheomalacia and brocheomalacia. His floppyness is below the trach into the brochi (branches to the lungs). I have read (esp on the Passey Muir web site) that the PMV does help to strengthen the trachea, but I am sorry to say that in most cases time and good health is what will do it. The diameter of the airway and the hardening of the cartilage is what you're looking for to support the floppy muscles, and the PMV will help the muscles harden/strengthen, too, but not as fast as we would like. How old is your child, and does she also have hypotonia (weak muscles throughout her body)? Michael has that, and is weak in his legs, arms, and trunk. He's just now sitting at a year old. The drs think this hypotonia, is the same thing that's affecting his airway making him floppy. Do you have any other diagnosis? Send me an email on the site. Take care, Sue

[shon-mg]

Hi Christy
My nearly 18 month old has floppy airways too. Glad there is someone else out there. He hates using his speaking valve (passy muir)....he used to tolerate it but now he just has huge coughing fits when I even attempt to put it on.
He went in for a trial decannulation 6 weeks ago but it failed after about an hour. No-body even thought he would last that long.
Since having his trachie in.....his airways have improved in size because they were very narrow. As for the floppiness, this has improved aswell but not to the extent that they would have liked.
Good luck with your little one and hope things go well for you.

[Heather Trotter]

Hi Christy,
My daughter Morgan was trached at 4 months old due to severe trachea malacia (floppy airway). I will tell you my daughter only handled the PMV for a short time. She rather plug her trach with her finger to try to talk. She does speak very little (I can understand her) without either but, I found that she did not and could not really tolerate it. I didn't force her and at this point she does not use it at all. I would still try it because every child is different. As far as the harding process I really can not help you there. I know that when Morgan wore hers I felt that it was more stress on her than good. I do wish you luck and hope you have better luck than we did. Best of luck.

Heather http://www.twinEnterprises.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif