Airway Surgery

In this episode of BackTable ENT, Dr. Shah and Dr. Deepak Mehta, pediatric otolaryngologist and director of the complex airway program at Texas Children’s Hospital, discuss Deepak’s work advancing pediatric airway surgery in India. This unique episode addresses the challenges and rewards of building a sustainable global health collaboration.

Pediatric airway surgeon Dr. Michael Rutter and I discuss risk-taking and effective market analysis in entrepreneurship. In the operating room, Dr. Rutter cultivates a congenial OR environment and often seeks ideas from other team members with different areas of expertise. These problem solving-driven conversations often result in pioneering new airway surgery techniques. In the medical device sphere, he outlines his journey of creating a tracheal balloon dilation device, explaining how he obtained intellectual property rights, cleared FDA regulations, and marketed the product.

We talk with Dr. Brianne Roby from Children's Minnesota about airway evaluation and surgical management of the infant with retro/micrognathia.

Dr. Romaine Johnson tells us about The Simulation Program for open airway and foreign body training at UT Southwestern, including how he got it started, how it's being used, and what steps go into making a successful course.

We talk with Laura Matrka MD and Mark Gerber MD about their approaches to airway surgery, including endoscopic vs open, tips on technique, and the importance of communication in the OR.