Woman Undergoes Life-Saving Surgery To Open Her Airway After Rare Condition Was Mistaken For Asthma For 18 Years

Nicole LaCentra, of East Meadows, New York, had been diagnosed with severe asthma as a child - but typical asthma therapies offered her no relief. 

The now 28-year-old had difficulty breathing, which stopped her from playing sports or being able to walk long distances, and so, she was never far away from her inhaler.

However, in January 2015, she watched an episode of the CBS medical talk show 'The Doctors' that changed her life. The episode focused on a rare disorder called subglottic stenosis - which causes a narrowing of the airway. Ms LaCentra 'knew' she had the disorder, and immediately went in for testing. 

The results showed 70 per cent of her airway was blocked - and that she had the disorder. She underwent surgery to expand her airway - which allowed her to finally breathe through her mouth. She said today's episode of 'The Doctors' that she was told she would have suffocated in her sleep if not for the surgery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/index.html