A unique method for one-lung ventilation in pediatric thoracic surgery: Suction catheter and single-lumen tube...

Effective one-lung ventilation (OLV) ensures optimal surgical exposure and isolation of the operative lung. This case describes a novel technique for achieving OLV in pediatric thoracic surgery using a suction catheter with a single-lumen endotracheal tube (SLT). An 11-year-old girl presented with a 2-day history of hemoptysis. Chest CT showed bronchial wall thickening and multifocal nodular opacities in the right upper lobe, suggesting pulmonary hemorrhage. After standard ASA monitoring, arterial and central venous lines were placed. The patient was intubated with a size 6.0 SLT and a size 10 suction catheter, guided into the left main bronchus under fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Tube position was confirmed by auscultation and chest X-ray. Intraoperatively, adhesions indicated prior embolization. The right upper lobe bronchus and vessels were ligated with LigaSure. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and imaging on day five showed no pneumothorax. This simple, effective method facilitates safe OLV in pediatric thoracic surgery.