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Use of the flexible intubating fibrescope for tracheal re‐intubation in a patient with difficult extubation
Author(s) -
Popat M. T.,
Dravid R. M.,
WattSmith S. R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2044.1999.00782.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tracheal tube , intubation , tube (container) , tracheal intubation , surgery , cuff , anesthesia , mechanical engineering , engineering
Difficulty in tracheal extubation was experienced in a patient following major maxillofacial surgery for reconstruction of the maxilla using bone grafts and a microvascular free flap. With the aid of an intubating flexible fibrescope, the cause of the difficulty was identified as a stitch accidentally transfixed through the tracheal tube. Tracheal re‐intubation was required to facilitate surgical exploration to remove the stitch and the proximal end of the tube. The tip of an Olympus LF‐2 intubating fibrescope was successfully negotiated in the trachea alongside the original tube with its cuff deflated. This allowed safe and speedy railroading of a new tube immediately after the distal end of the original tube was removed.