Pediatric Airway Specialist in Frisco, Texas

Dr. Benjamin B. Cable, MD is a board-certified otolaryngologist with fellowship training in pediatric otolaryngology from the University of Iowa — one of the few fellowship-trained pediatric airway specialists serving Frisco, McKinney, and the North Texas region. For more than 25 years he has evaluated and treated infants, children, and teens with noisy breathing, stridor, laryngomalacia, and complex airway conditions, from first evaluation through surgical care and follow-up.

If your child is struggling to breathe, turning blue, or may have swallowed a button battery, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Button battery ingestion is a time-critical emergency — do not wait for an appointment.

What Is a Pediatric Airway Specialist?

Every otolaryngologist completes five years of residency covering ear, nose, and throat surgery for children and adults. A fellowship-trained pediatric otolaryngologist completes at least one additional year devoted exclusively to children’s conditions — including the evaluation and surgical management of the pediatric airway, which is smaller, softer, and less forgiving than an adult’s. Dr. Cable completed his pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at the University of Iowa, served as Chief of Otolaryngology at Tripler Army Medical Center, and was selected as the Otolaryngology Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General — the lead ENT for the U.S. Army. He has held academic appointments as Professor of Surgery at two medical schools and has taught pediatric airway surgery to physicians on three continents.

Airway Conditions Evaluated and Treated

• Laryngomalacia — the most common cause of noisy breathing (stridor) in infants, caused by soft tissue above the vocal cords collapsing inward with each breath
• Stridor — high-pitched noisy breathing in infants and children, which always deserves an explanation
• Subglottic stenosis — narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords
• Tracheomalacia — softening or collapse of the windpipe
• Vocal cord problems — including weakness, paralysis, and hoarseness in children
• Recurrent croup — repeated episodes may warrant a closer look at the airway
• Airway and swallowed foreign bodies — including urgent evaluation after suspected aspiration or ingestion
• Airway aspects of sleep-disordered breathing — noisy nighttime breathing, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea in children (see also Sleep & Breathing Disorders and Airway & Breathing Issues in Children)

Research and Teaching Behind the Care

Dr. Cable’s approach to the pediatric airway is grounded in research he helped author. Each publication below can be independently verified through PubMed:

• Co-author of “Supraglottoplasty surgery types 1-3: A practical classification system for laryngomalacia surgery” — the classification framework for laryngomalacia surgery. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2018. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.05.022 (opens in a new tab)
• Lead author of “Pediatric airway reconstruction: principles, decision-making, and outcomes at the University of Iowa hospitals and clinics.” Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, 2004. doi:10.1177/000348940411300406 (opens in a new tab)
• Co-author of “Emergent treatment of button batteries in the esophagus: evolution of management and need for close second-look esophagoscopy.” Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, 2014. doi:10.1177/0003489414522969 (opens in a new tab)
• Co-author of “Supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Laryngoscope, 2016. doi:10.1002/lary.25827 (opens in a new tab)

He has served as an invited instructor at pediatric airway courses internationally — including the Singapore Multinational Pediatric Airway Conference (2007, 2008, 2010), the University of Malaysia Pediatric Airway Conference (2008), and the Pediatric Laryngotracheobronchial Endoscopy course in Manila (2012) — and taught airway surgery at the University of Iowa’s pediatric airway courses. His complete publication record, textbook chapters, and academic appointments are on the Credentials page.

Hear Dr. Cable Discuss Children’s Breathing

In this 49-minute conversation on the Sleep Apnea Stories podcast, Dr. Cable walks parents through recognizing sleep-disordered breathing in children, when a sleep study is warranted, and how airway, allergy, and dental factors fit together.

When to Seek an Evaluation

Talk with your pediatrician, or schedule an evaluation directly, if your child has:

• Noisy breathing or squeaky sounds (stridor) that persist beyond the first weeks of life or worsen with feeding, crying, or lying flat
• Difficulty feeding along with breathing noise, or poor weight gain
• Pauses, gasps, or snoring during sleep
• A hoarse voice, weak cry, or voice change that does not resolve
• Repeated episodes of croup
• A history of intubation with new breathing symptoms

Frequently Asked Questions

Is noisy breathing in my baby normal?

Some newborn breathing sounds are harmless, but persistent high-pitched noise (stridor) always deserves an explanation. The most common cause in infants is laryngomalacia, which is often mild and outgrown — but the diagnosis should be made by examination, not assumption, because less common causes need different treatment.

What is supraglottoplasty?

Supraglottoplasty is a surgical procedure for severe laryngomalacia that trims or reshapes the soft tissue collapsing into an infant’s airway. Most children with laryngomalacia never need surgery; when it is needed, it is typically a short procedure with a meaningful improvement in breathing and feeding. Dr. Cable co-authored the classification system used to describe the types of this surgery.

How is a child’s airway evaluated?

Evaluation usually begins with a history and physical examination, and may include a flexible laryngoscopy — a brief look at the voice box with a very small camera, done awake in the office. Some children need a more complete examination of the airway under anesthesia, imaging, or a sleep study. Dr. Cable will explain what is needed and why before anything is scheduled.

Where are procedures performed?

Dr. Cable performs surgery primarily at Stonebridge Surgery Center in McKinney, with additional privileges at Children’s Medical Center Plano and Texas Health Hospital Frisco for children whose care is best delivered in a hospital setting. Office evaluations are available at his Frisco office and the McKinney office of ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas.

Schedule an Evaluation

Appointments are available in Frisco and McKinney.