Airway Obstruction by Swelling of Inner Wall of Armored Tube and Tracheal Laceration during Endoscopic Thyroidectomy: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Recently, an endoscopic approach has been preferred for a thyroidectomy due to cosmetic considerations and the shortening of the hospital stay. An endotracheal tube may become obstructed by bending or compression due to changes in patient's position in the preperation for head and neck surgery. Therefore, the use of an armored tube has been increasing for this type of surgery. A new armored tube obstruction was experienced in a 27-years-old female patient with a thyroid adenoma, who underwent an endoscopic thyroidectomy. The swelling of a layer of the inner wall of the new armored tube was detected at about 10 cm, which caused an obstruction of 50% of the radius of the tube. Tracheal laceration also occurred during the operation, which was sutured under endoscopy; however, the stitches became unknotted in the recovery room, but were corrected by exploration.

Airway Partial Obstruction by Internal Hermiation of Armored Endotracheal Tube: A case report / 대한구급학회지

During general anesthesia, intubation with kink-resistant armored tubes permit the anesthesiologist to work some distance from the surgical field during operation on the head and neck or with patients whose unusual position may kink and obstruct a tube not so reinforced. But armored tubes are still subject to number of hazards, including herniation of the intra-luminal cuff or layer into the lumen of the tube. So extra care is required in their use. We report a case of intraluminal herniation of armored tube accompanied with peak inspiratory pressure during general anesthesia.

A Case Report of Airway Obstruction with Armored Endotracheal Tube / 대한마취과학회지

Endotracheal intubation has many advantage such as airway protection, maintenance of patent airway, pulmonary toilet, application of positive pressure ventilation, and maintenance of adequate oxygenation. But risks that develop complications related to endotracheal tube always present, when we insert a tube into the trachea. We have experienced an armored tube obstruction with bulged inner wall after EO gas sterilization. So, it is important that we have to pretest a tube and check pateney of the inside of a tube, before endotracheal intubation.