Lee et al. The Ventrain: An elegant way to facilitate elective surgery in upper airway obstruction. Trends in Anaesthesia and Critical Care 2020 (30) e13

Dr. Lee and colleagues report the elective use of Ventrain and Cricath to safely facilitate the resection of significant pharyngeal fibrotic tissue due to radiotherapy. Previously, insertion attempts of a laser jet catheter and supraglottic devices had failed and surgery was abandoned. The patient returned for an elective insertion of Cricath, followed by manually controlled ventilation with Ventrain throughout the procedure. The authors appreciate that this “elegant, minimally invasive technique” offers certain advantages over jet ventilation, as “the risks of gas trapping and barotrauma are reduced.”