**General factors:**

*Special Considerations in Human Airway Management*

• Symptoms of upper airway obstruction, findings on physical exam, and use of imaging enable us to properly evaluate head and neck tumors and alert us to

• A wake fiberoptic intubation is the most preferred technique in the manage-

There is a wide spectrum of head and neck surgeries ranging from major complex

It is not uncommon for head and neck surgery to affect the airway or to require changing the airway during the operation. For that reason, it is important to have a close and good cooperation between the theater teamwork (surgeons, anesthetists,

In the current practice now, there is wide range of diverse practice for postoperative airway management of head and neck patients. For example, some will do temporary tracheostomy for almost all head and neck free-flap reconstructions whereas others will manage the same case by overnight ventilation followed by

the potential for airway management difficulty.

**5. Airway management post head and neck surgery**

operations to simple minor day care surgical procedures [10].

1. Laryngeal spasm 6. Haematoma of the neck 2. Oedema of the larynx 7. Bleeding in the airway

5. Obstructive sleep apnoea 10. Reduced venous drainage

3. Paralysis of the vocal cord 8. Infection of the pharynx or larynx

9. Reversal of neuromuscular blocking drug is

inadequate

ment of a difficult airway.

*Large supra-glottic cancer with airway obstruction.*

anesthetic assistants, and nurses [10].

4. Foreign body in the airway (as missed

*Causes of postoperative airway obstruction.*

extubation next day [11].

pharyngeal pack)

**5.1 Introduction**

**Figure 16.**

**142**

**Table 2.**

