Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Published on: May 19, 2022
An innovative way to reinsert dislodged Arndt blocker using urological glide wire
Rahul Pillai, Sneha Ann Ancheri, Sathish Kumar Dharmalingam
1Department of Anaesthesia, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
The Arndt blocker is positioned in the desired bronchus using a wire loop which couples the blocker with a fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB). The wire loop once removed cannot be reinserted in 5F and 7F blockers making repositioning of the blocker difficult. A 34-year-old female was to undergo left thoracotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The left lung was isolated with a 7F Arndt bronchial blocker. During one-lung ventilation, the wire loop was removed for oxygen insufflation. There was loss of lung isolation during the procedure and dislodgement of the blocker was confirmed by FOB. The initial attempts to reintroduce the blocker into the left main bronchus failed. An alternative technique using a glide wire was attempted which resulted in successful reintroduction of the Arndt blocker. The 0.032 inch zebra glide wire may be effectively used to reposition a dislodged Arndt blocker if the wire loop has been removed.

