The laryngeal mask airway--clinical experience

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA), a new type of airway, when it is inserted blindly into the hypopharynx forms a seal around the larynx and allows easy and convenient spontaneous or controlled positive pressure ventilation. A clinical application of the LMA to 70 surgical patients in our hospital have been evaluated. LMA was successfully applied to 68 (97%) patients who all received general anesthesia with unobstructed controlled ventilation. The patency of the airway did not change throughout the course of anesthesia. There were 2 patients whose airway was obstructed at the first attempt due to downfolding of epiglottis; in one of them the obstruction was confirmed by flexible fibreoptic laryngoscopy. Subsequent placement was successful in these 2 patients. Insertion failure was seen in 2 patients respectively due to small mouth and excessive salivation. The placement of LMA does not require laryngoscopy and there is no fear of misplacement in the esophagus. It becomes obvious that the LMA would substantially gain a place in the armamentarium in anesthesia and we think that its use would be of interest to anesthesiologists.