[Perioperative airway management for a patient with tuberculous tracheal stenosis]

Perioperative airway management for sleeve pneumonectomy in a 66-year-old female with tuberculous tracheal stenosis which was 2 cm above the carina to the right main bronchial orifice is reported. Endotracheal intubation was required, because she complained of dyspnea due to airway stenosis in preoperative period for anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. A special tracheal tube developed for laryngomicrosurgery (MLT tube, Mallinckrodt Co. Ltd., 21 Fr size) was used in this patient. However, 13 days after intubation with an MLT tube, sleeve pneumonectomy was done because because of right lung atelectasis and progressive hypoxemia. Left one lung ventilation was successful by an MLT tube during right thoracotomy and a spiral tube (28 Fr) was inserted to the left main bronchus in the operative field during the resection of the carina. For this type of patient with tracheo-bronchial stenosis, it is essential to select an endotracheal tube with appropriate length and diameter.