The longer I do anesthesia, the more I realize that not knowing the details about the surgeries that I see every day can cause unexpected problems with the anesthesia. Removal of the hyoid as part of a thyroglossal duct cyst excision, normally innocuous, can rarely cause severe postoperative airway obstruction.
Persistent endotracheal tube leaks may require the need to exchange the endotracheal tube in a critical patient or situation. The differential diagnosis of such leaks is discussed. In addition, a case regarding a patient biting a pinhole in the pilot tube of their endotracheal tube is presented.
Intubation by direct laryngoscopy depends on using the laryngoscope blade to give you a clear field of view of the larynx by shifting the tongue and other pharyngeal structures out of the way. As you might imagine, the patient’s anatomy, pathology, or position can sometimes make this visualization difficult. Laryngoscopy blades come in different shapes to help manage these various situations.
Anesthesiologist, Educator, Author dedicated to improving patient care and safety