PURPOSE: We report the use of wire-guided endobronchial blockade, a new method of achieving one-lung ventilation, in a patient requiring awake, nasal, fibreoptic intubation for resection of a lung carcinoma. CLINICAL REPORT: A 43-yr-old woman with limited mouth opening, from severe TMJ dysfunction, required a right thoracotomy for right upper lobe wedge resection. One-lung ventilation was accomplished using a new type of wire-guided endobronchial blocker. The device was placed coaxially through the endotracheal tube using a pediatric bronchoscope through a special bronchoscopy port. CONCLUSION: Effective one-lung ventilation was achieved using this system. The system may prove advantageous in clinical situations where placement of double lumen endotracheal tubes or Univent tubes is technically impractical or impossible.
PURPOSE: We report the use of wire-guided endobronchial blockade, a new method of achieving one-lung ventilation, in a patient requiring awake, nasal, fibreoptic intubation for resection of a lung carcinoma. CLINICAL REPORT: A 43-yr-old woman with limited mouth opening, from severe TMJ dysfunction, required a right thoracotomy for right upper lobe wedge resection. One-lung ventilation was accomplished using a new type of wire-guided endobronchial blocker. The device was placed coaxially through the endotracheal tube using a pediatric bronchoscope through a special bronchoscopy port. CONCLUSION: Effective one-lung ventilation was achieved using this system. The system may prove advantageous in clinical situations where placement of double lumen endotracheal tubes or Univent tubes is technically impractical or impossible.