Difficulté d’intubation imprévue mais prévisible

Abstract

We report a case of two consecutive episodes of difficult intubation in a patient with an endotracheal Dumon’s prosthesis inserted two years before. Despite several preanaesthetic visits and ENT examination, the absence of recollection by the patient and the lack of information in her previous medical records led to the impossibility to introduce a normal tube into her trachea during two consecutive anaesthetic procedures. This case points out the limits of preanaesthetic visits. It allows to remind special measures that must be taken in patients having tracheal prosthesis and scheduled for anaesthesia and surgery.