High-frequency jet ventilation: applications for endoscopy and surgery of the airway

Twenty-four patients underwent endoscopic procedures under general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation by high-frequency jet ventilation, provided by a catheter inserted through the cricothyroid membrane and connected to an IDC-VS600 ventilator. The arterial blood gas values, arterial blood pressures, and heart rates observed were within acceptable clinical levels. In some patients, blockage of the airway by the surgeon required shutting off the ventilator to prevent a pneumothorax. With the rapid rate jet ventilation, we found that laryngeal bleeding after biopsy passed outward from the larynx into the hypopharynx. It was necessary for the surgeon to wear protective eye and face shielding when performing endoscopies to avoid getting blood and secretions on his face. The unobstructed surgical field is an advantage of the jet ventilation, which can be continued in the postoperative period until the patient is fully recovered.