Airway management in craniofacial surgery: experience in 542 patients

Five hundred and forty-two patients undergoing 579 craniofacial surgical procedures were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, during the 13-year period of 1972 to 1984. Ninety-eight of these patients underwent tracheotomies; 12 significant complications were documented. Two hundred and seventy-eight patients were managed with nasal endotracheal intubation for greater than 24 hours postoperatively; 42 related complications were documented. Good communication among the craniofacial surgeon, otolaryngologist, anesthetist and intensivist is crucial for the safe management of the various airway problems observed in patients with major craniofacial anomalies undergoing corrective surgery.