Procedural Challenges During Intubation in Patients With Oropharyngeal Masses: A Prospective Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Otolaryngology
• Airway Management

Background:

• Oropharyngeal masses present unique airway management challenges during surgery.
• While intubation is typically successful, difficulties with ventilation and oxygenation can occur.
• Existing data may not fully represent complications in individual airway management steps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of complications during airway management in patients with oropharyngeal masses.
• To determine if intubation success rates accurately reflect difficulties in ventilation and oxygenation.

Main Methods:

• Observational study of 44 patients undergoing surgery for oropharyngeal masses.
• Recorded airway devices, intubation attempts, manual ventilation maneuvers, and oxygen desaturation.
• Documented the eventual intubation success rate.

Main Results:

• 100% intubation success rate was achieved in all 44 patients.
• 61.4% of patients experienced at least one complication during airway management.
• Difficult mask ventilation occurred in 68% and oxygen desaturation in 34% of patients.

Conclusions:

• Despite high intubation success, airway management in oropharyngeal mass patients frequently involves complications.
• Difficulties with mask ventilation and oxygen desaturation are common.
• Intubation success rate alone is insufficient to assess airway management challenges in this population.