A case of a different approach for difficult airway: transorbital endotracheal intubation

Abstract

Abstract Background In patients who have undergone head and neck surgery and received radiotherapy, airway management presents serious difficulties for the anesthesiologist. Case presentation We report a case of a 23-year-old male patient undergoing an emergency operation due to a rhabdomyosarcoma pressed spinal cord that loss of muscle strength and loss of sensation developed below the level of thoracal 6–7 vertebrae. Because of the previous radiotherapy reducing the mouth opening (less than 1 cm), the patient was intubated by transorbital pathway without any difficulty. Conclusions Transorbital intubation seems to be a safe method and may be a good alternative to difficult airway in the patient undergoing orbital exenteration.

Keywords

• Difficult airway management
• Transorbital intubation
• Fiberoptic intubation
• Direct laryngoscopy, Case report