Endobronchial Valves: considerations for general anaesthesia

Summary We present the case of a patient with advanced bullous emphysema and an in‐situ endobronchial valve who successfully underwent general anaesthesia for emergency laparotomy and Hartmann's procedure. No published recommendations exist for the anaesthetic management of patients with endobronchial valves. In the absence of consensus guidelines, we suggest that ventilatory management in such patients is best dictated by the underlying lung pathology and a high index of suspicion should be maintained for complications associated with endobronchial valves, particularly pneumothorax and valve migration.