[Submental tracheal intubation for a panfacial fracture patient].

Panfacial fractures represent a unique challenge to the surgical and anesthetic team. Often nasal and oral intubations interfere with surgical procedure, while tracheotomies include a number of potential complications as well as the formation of poor scarring in a highly visible area. Tracheal intubation through the floor of the mouth, mentioned as submental tracheal intubation, is a simple quick and effective alternative to oral and nasal tracheal intubation or tracheostomy in the surgical management of selected patients with panfacial fractures. In this case report, with successful submental tracheal intubation, the potential complications associated with a tracheotomy were avoided.