[Difficult Ventilation Requiring Emergency Endotracheal Intubation during Awake Craniotomy Managed by Laryngeal Mask Airway]

Masui. 2016 Apr;65(4):380-3.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We report a case of difficult ventilation requiring emergency endotracheal intubation during awake craniotomy managed by laryngeal mask airway (LMA). A 45-year-old woman was scheduled to receive awake craniotomy for brain tumor in the frontal lobe. After anesthetic induction, airway was secured using ProSeal LMA and patient was mechanically ventilated in pressure-control mode. Patient's head was fixed with head-pins at anteflex position, and the operation started. About one hour after the start of the operation, tidal volume suddenly decreased. We immediately started manual ventilation, but the airway resistance was extremely high and we could not adequately ventilate the patient. We administered muscle relaxant for suspected laryngospasm, but ventilatory status did not improve; so we decided to conduct emergency endotracheal intubation. We tried to intubate using Airwayscope or LMA-Fastrach, but they were not effective in our case. Finally trachea was intubated using transnasal fiberoptic bronchoscopy. We discuss airway management during awake craniotomy, focusing on emergency endotracheal intubation during surgery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Craniotomy*
  • Emergencies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intubation, Intratracheal*
  • Laryngeal Masks*
  • Middle Aged
  • Wakefulness*